Analyse qualitative et quantitative de la parade sexuelle du triton palmé Triturus helveticus (Razoumowsky 1798)

This paper deals with descriptive and quantitative analysis of the courtship and mating behaviour of the Palmate newt (Triturus helveticus). Fan (mouvement d'éventail) and distal wave (ondulation distale) are especially described and compared with the same movements in the Smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris). The sequential analysis of 39 courtships behavioural patterns emphasizes the species-specific differences between T. helveticus and T. vulgaris in the behavioural frequencies and in the frequencies in the dyadic transitions between the behavioural patterns. Contrary to T. vulgaris, the success of the spermatophore transfer is most frequent in the first sequences in T. helveticus. Finally our data support a comparison between courtship and mating behaviours in both species in order to emphasize the importance of the behavioural patterns in the isolating mechanisms.