Courtship, mating and egg-laying in Tylototriton verrucosus from theDarjeeling district of the Eastern Himalaya

摘要

Tylototriton verrucosus is confined to high altitudes of the Eastern Himalaya. The present study on salamanders of Darjeeling district deals with courtship, mating and egg-laying in 46 pairs of T. verrucosus during May and June 1999, under natural and laboratory conditions. The animals show sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. Courtship and amplexus always take place at night. The courtship behaviour is in the form of a nuptial dance. The amplexus is ventral and the eggs are laid singly. The duration from courtship to egg-laying varies between pairs. Clutch size is positively correlated to the length and weight of the female.