Dispersion patterns of young great crested newts (Triturus cristatus)

Dispersion patterns of different life stages (egg, larva, metamorph and adu lt) of the great crested newt, Triturus cristatus, were recorded in two adj acent woodland ponds in Oxfordshire, UK. The places along the shores where adult females emerged were significantly different from those where eggs we re laid, suggesting that the females do not choose egg sites that correspon d with their routes of migration. In the northern pond the distribution pat terns of eggs and larvae were very similar. In the southern pond the eggs a nd larvae were almost entirely restricted to two of the three shores, where they had very similar distribution patterns. Metamorphs emerged from both ponds along the same shores as adult males, suggesting that that they were following directional cues. In laboratory tests, metamorphs showed a signif icant preference for their own, previously-used substrates over clean subst rates, and over those used by other metamorphs. Metamorphs significantly pr eferred substrates previously used by an adult to clean substrates; the abi lity to use similar cues to orientate was further indicated by the signific ant tendency of metamorphs to follow a directional trail left on the substr ate by an adult newt in a Y-maze, regardless of whether the adult was male or female. These results suggest that metamorphs can detect cues left by bo th metamorphs and adult newts and may be able to use them for orientation.