I. YAKOVLEV CHUVASH STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY BULLETIN

Karelin’s newt, Triturus karelinii, reproductive biology, captive breeding. 

The article presents the data on the reproductive characteristics of females of the banded newt, Triturus karelinii (Strauch, 1870) in the captivity. The fifteen females from the population of Zarbyulyun natural boundary in the Talysh Mountains (Astara District, Azerbaijan) have been studied. The twelve animals were caught in 2011, and three females were obtained from the captive breeding. Before the breeding season the banded newts were kept on land and since December 1 the females were moved with males to water. The newts were fed with red manure worms, Eisenia fetida. The first egg laying was observed in 28–120 days after putting the newts into the water at the temperature regime of 6.5–18.0°C. In general, during the breeding season the newts laid eggs at the temperature regime of 5.5 to 27.0°C. The latest oviposition by different females accounted for the period from 15 April to 27 June when the temperature of water was 20.0–24.0°C. The whole breeding period of Triturus karelinii in the laboratory amounted to six months (from December to June) and ranged for different females from 61 to 165 days. The highest average daily fecundity was observed from January through April, and subsequently sharply declined. The greatest number of eggs per day the females laid during the first two weeks of breeding. Each female laid 10–786 eggs over the reproductive season. It has been noted that the females reach puberty quicker in laboratory setting and have a more extended reproductive period and high fecundity in comparison with those in nature.