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Lekking Behaviour in Crested Newts, Triturus cristatus
Author(s) -
Hedlund Linda,
Robertson Jeremy G. M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1989.tb00733.x
Subject(s) - triturus , lek mating , zoology , biology , salamandridae , geography , ecology , caudata , mate choice , mating
We describe the distribution of males and females in a natural population of crested newts, Triturus cristatus , during the breeding season and show that the mating system is a lek. Males arrived earlier than females at breeding sites, and throughout the breeding season there was a male‐biased operational sex ratio. Males aggregated for most of the breeding season, and did not cluster over any resources essential for females. The male aggregations were not correlated with environmental factors, nor with female distribution. The males display to females prior to mating, but contribute nothing apart from sperm, and they cannot force females to mate. Females also aggregated, though less than males, and their aggregations were separate from those of males.