DOCSLIB.ORG

Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio Life History and Management Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio: Life History and Management

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio Life History and Management Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio: Life History and Management Bulletin 941 Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio Life History and Management Getting to Know Salamanders in Ohio: Life History and Management Authors Marne A. Titchenell The School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Sarah Lehnen The School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Acknowledgements The authors would especially like to thank the editors Brian MacGowan, Purdue University, and Rebecca Christoffel, D.J. Case and Associates, Inc., for their comments, recommendations, and time. Their kindly provided reviews greatly improved the publication. Special thanks also to Andrew Hoffman, Brian MacGowan, Thomas P. LeBlanc, and J.P. Humphries for providing excellent images of Ohio’s native salamander species. This is a for sale publication. Additional copies can be ordered from your local OSU Extension office. For a list of Ohio State University Extension offices, log on to: http://extension.osu.edu/counties.php. Copies are also available through Media Distribution, Ohio State University Extension, 216 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044. Phone: 614-292-1607. Bulletin 941 Copyright © 2009, The Ohio State University Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA. Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868 7/09 — 1200— XXXXXX 2 Contents The Myth of the Fire Lizard . .5 Salamander Ecology. 6 Just What Are Salamanders? . 6 What Do Salamanders Look Like?. .6 What’s on a Salamander’s Lunch Menu?. 7 Salamander Behavior. 7 A Salamander Is Born. 8 Ohio’s Salamanders . .10 Do I Have Salamanders on My Land?. .10 Salamander Habitats. 10 How Can I See a Salamander? . 15 Management Options for Salamander Habitats. 16 Flowing Water Habitats. .16 Standing Water Habitats. .16 Terrestrial Habitats. .17 Conservation of Salamanders. 18 State Endangered Salamanders. .18 Now You Have Gotten to Know Salamanders. .20 Ohio Salamander Sizes, Habitats, and Distribution . 21 Selected Bibliography. 22 3 4 Figure 1. Legends and myths from long ago depicted salamanders sustaining life from fire. The Myth of the Fire Lizard Most people don’t know it, but North America has quently, in some languages, the word salamander more species of salamanders than anywhere else in means “fire lizard.” Leonardo da Vinci (1880/1970) the world! Ohio alone has 24 different species of wrote that the salamander “has no digestive organs, salamanders, some of which can be very abundant. and gets no food but from the fire, in which it So why don’t we see more salamanders crawling constantly renews its scaly skin.” Other early myths around? Salamanders are voiceless, very secretive, about salamanders claimed their saliva destroyed and take to hiding under rocks and logs during the human hair. Fortunately for us, these beliefs are not daytime, so we are not likely to hear or stumble true. While salamanders probably did scurry out of across them. damp logs back in the day, they probably did so to escape the fire, not to be born from it. Further, sala- In fact, due to their elusive nature, many myths and manders do not lack digestive organs, do not have legends have arisen about salamanders. During the scales, and do not have saliva that ruins human Middle Ages, people believed salamanders were hair. They are not even lizards, which are reptiles. born from fire because they observed salamanders Salamanders are amphibians, a group of animals scurrying out of damp logs burned for fuel. Conse- that is often misunderstood and overlooked. 5 Salamander Ecology Just What Are Salamanders? Salamanders are amphibians, a group of animals claws, scales, and dry skin that are characteristic characterized by smooth, naked skin with no scales, of reptiles. Salamanders have very moist skin with feathers, or hair. There are three major groups of mucous-secreting glands that prevent them from amphibians, consisting of over 5,700 species total. drying out. This is important because some species The least familiar of these are the caecilians, a are capable of breathing through their skin and tropical group of long, worm-shaped animals with need a constant layer of moisture to do so. Sala- no limbs. Much more familiar to people are the manders are unique from frogs and toads because anurans, or frogs and toads. These animals are often they retain their tail through adulthood. Most seen near ponds and marshes and may be heard species also have two forelimbs and two hindlimbs during the spring when male frogs make their pres- that aid in swimming and walking on land. ence known with mating calls. Salamanders belong to the final group of amphibians, the caudates. When some people think of amphibians, it brings Salamanders do not make mating calls or any other to mind images of slimy, warty animals that are vocalizations. They are often overlooked because of definitely not the most attractive creatures on earth. their silent and secretive nature. While there are a few unfortunate species out there that are described well by these words, salamanders What Do Salamanders Look Like? are a group of animals that, while slimy, are by no At first glance, salamanders look a lot like lizards, means ugly. Many of Ohio’s salamanders are small, which are reptiles rather than amphibians. A delicate, and brightly colored. They may be green, salamander is long, slender, and has a tail that is brown, red, orange, or yellow, and they often have often just as long as its body. On closer inspection, spots, stripes, or dots of varying colors such as blue, however, you will notice that salamanders lack the white, or black. Figure 2. Salamanders are the most quiet and secretive of all Ohio’s amphibians. Photo courtesy of Brian MacGowan. 6 Figure 3. The cave salamander is one of Ohio’s brightly colored salamanders. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hoffman. Diversity is apparent not only in the color of these Salamander Behavior creatures; salamanders vary greatly in size as well. The largest Ohio species, an aquatic salamander Adult salamanders don’t eat very often; most of called the hellbender, measures up to 24 inches in their time during the day is spent resting under length, whereas the smallest Ohio species, the four- rocks, in logs, underground, or underwater. At toed salamander, measures a mere 3 inches. With night, they search for prey under these same rocks, the exception of the hellbender, Ohio salamanders logs, and aquatic vegetation. During dry weather, range in size from 2.5–8 inches, depending on the salamanders remain under cover at night to prevent species. In their juvenile stage, however, many sala- their skin from losing moisture—a potential cause mander species are small enough to easily perch on of death. Fortunately, salamanders can survive the tip of your pinky finger! extended periods without food, remaining safe and sheltered during dry conditions. What’s on a Salamander’s One advantage to remaining under cover is that Lunch Menu? it decreases the chance of being found by preda- Spiders, worms, grubs, and insects are on the tors. If a salamander is detected, it may employ preferred breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus of several defensive strategies depending on the salamanders. Salamanders are nocturnal preda- species. The juvenile red-spotted newt is protected tors, meaning they wait until the sun has set before by harmful compounds secreted from its skin. they head out to find some grub. Aquatic salaman- This substance will deter most predators and in ders and larvae will capture prey by opening their humans, may cause slight skin irritation. The red- mouth suddenly and with enough force to ‘suck’ spotted newt also engages in a defensive reflex the prey in. Terrestrial (land-dwelling) species will called unken posture in which it bends its head and capture prey with a quick snap of the jaws and a tail upward and curls its tail. In this position, the sticky tongue. The food is not chewed, but is often brightly colored underside of the newt is exposed shredded by the teeth from sudden, jerking move- as a warning. Other species may show defensive ments of the head before swallowing. behaviors such as lashing the tail, or casting-off the 7 tail and regenerating it later, which is a common are also at risk of desiccation if they get stranded in strategy of the four-toed salamander. The tail will a dry habitat. hold the attention of the predator by continuing to wriggle after it is detached, allowing the salamander Courtship to escape. Several aquatic-breeding salamanders, such as the spotted salamander, participate in a nuptial Perhaps due to these survival strategies, as well dance called Liebespiel. In these “love games,” up as their secretive nature, salamanders can be very to hundreds of salamanders gather in the breeding long-lived. Many salamanders live more than ten waters where they swim, dive, and nudge one years, and many require at least three to four years another with their noses. In species that breed on before they are old enough to breed. There are some land, such as the redback salamander, the male and species, such as the aquatic hellbender, that can live female engage in what is known as a tail-straddling as long as 30 years! walk. For other species, courtship means fanning their tails, walking together in a pinwheel motion, A Salamander Is Born or nudging each other’s tails.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Identification of Mutant Genes and Introgressed Tiger Salamander
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Identification of Mutant Genes and Introgressed Tiger Salamander DNA in the Laboratory Axolotl, Received: 13 October 2016 Accepted: 19 December 2016 Ambystoma mexicanum Published: xx xx xxxx M. Ryan Woodcock1, Jennifer Vaughn-Wolfe1, Alexandra Elias2, D. Kevin Kump1, Katharina Denise Kendall1,5, Nataliya Timoshevskaya1, Vladimir Timoshevskiy1, Dustin W. Perry3, Jeramiah J. Smith1, Jessica E. Spiewak4, David M. Parichy4,6 & S. Randal Voss1 The molecular genetic toolkit of the Mexican axolotl, a classic model organism, has matured to the point where it is now possible to identify genes for mutant phenotypes. We used a positional cloning– candidate gene approach to identify molecular bases for two historic axolotl pigment phenotypes: white and albino. White (d/d) mutants have defects in pigment cell morphogenesis and differentiation, whereas albino (a/a) mutants lack melanin. We identified in white mutants a transcriptional defect in endothelin 3 (edn3), encoding a peptide factor that promotes pigment cell migration and differentiation in other vertebrates. Transgenic restoration of Edn3 expression rescued the homozygous white mutant phenotype. We mapped the albino locus to tyrosinase (tyr) and identified polymorphisms shared between the albino allele (tyra) and tyr alleles in a Minnesota population of tiger salamanders from which the albino trait was introgressed. tyra has a 142 bp deletion and similar engineered alleles recapitulated the albino phenotype. Finally, we show that historical introgression of tyra significantly altered genomic composition of the laboratory axolotl, yielding a distinct, hybrid strain of ambystomatid salamander. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of identifying genes for traits in the laboratory Mexican axolotl. The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the primary salamander model in biological research.
    [Show full text]
  • <I>Ichthyosaura Alpestris</I>
    Volume 26 (January 2016), 49–56 FULL PAPER Herpetological Journal Published by the British Provenance of Ichthyosaura alpestris (Caudata: Herpetological Society Salamandridae) introductions to France and New Zealand assessed by mitochondrial DNA analysis Jan W. Arntzen1, Tania M. King2, Mathieu Denoël3, Iñigo Martínez-Solano4,5 & Graham P. Wallis2 1Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands 2Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand 3Behavioural Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Liège, Quai van Beneden 22, 4020 Liège, Belgium 4CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, s/n 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal 5(present address) Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, c/ Americo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain The last century has seen an unparalleled movement of species around the planet as a direct result of human activity, which has been a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis. Amphibians represent a particularly vulnerable group, exacerbated by the devastating effects of chytrid fungi. We report the malicious translocation and establishment of the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) to its virtual antipode in North Island of New Zealand. We use network analysis of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes to identify the original source population as I. a. apuana from Tuscany, Italy. Additionally, a population in southern France, presumed to be introduced, is identified as I. a. alpestris from western Europe. However, the presence of two differentiated haplotypes suggests a mixed origin.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Tiger Salamander,Ambystoma Mavortium
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium Southern Mountain population Prairie / Boreal population in Canada Southern Mountain population – ENDANGERED Prairie / Boreal population – SPECIAL CONCERN 2012 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2012. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xv + 63 pp. (www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm). Previous report(s): COSEWIC. 2001. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 33 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Schock, D.M. 2001. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum in Canada, in COSEWIC assessment and status report on the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-33 pp. Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Arthur Whiting for writing the status report on the Western Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium, in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada. This report was overseen and edited by Kristiina Ovaska, Co-chair of the COSEWIC Amphibians and Reptiles Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-953-3215 Fax: 819-994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur la Salamandre tigrée de l’Ouest (Ambystoma mavortium) au Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Californiense)
    PETITION TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION SUPPORTING INFORMATION FOR The California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense) TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................1 PROCEDURAL HISTORY ................................................................................................................2 THE CESA LISTING PROCESS AND THE STANDARD FOR ACCEPTANCE OF A PETITION ...5 DESCRIPTION, BIOLOGY, AND ECOLOGY OF THE CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER ....6 I. DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................6 II. TAXONOMY .................................................................................................................................7 III. REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH .....................................................................................................7 IV. MOVEMENT.................................................................................................................................9 V. FEEDING ....................................................................................................................................10 VI. POPULATION GENETICS .............................................................................................................10 HABITAT REQUIREMENTS..........................................................................................................12 DISTRIBUTION
    [Show full text]
  • Sonora Tiger Salamander
    PETITION TO LIST THE HUACHUCA TIGER SALAMANDER Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi AS A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES Mr. Bruce Babbitt Secretary of the Interior Office of the Secretary Department of the Interior 18th and "C" Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Kieran Suckling, the Greater Gila Biodiversity Project, the Southwest Center For Biological Diversity, and the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, hereby formally petition to list the Huachuca Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi) as endangered pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seg. (hereafter referred to as "ESA"). This petition is filed under 5 U.S.C. 553(e) and 50 CFR 424.14 (1990), which grants interested parties the right to petition for issue of a rule from the Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Petitioners also request that Critical Habitat be designated concurrent with the listing, pursuant to 50 CFR 424.12, and pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. 553). Petitioners understand that this petition action sets in motion a specific process placing definite response requirements on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and very specific time constraints upon those responses. Petitioners Kieran Suckling is a Doctoral Candidate, endangered species field researcher, and conservationist. He serves as the Director of the Greater Gila Biodiversity Project and has extensively studied the status and natural history of the Huachuca Tiger Salamander. The Greater Gila Biodiversity Project is a non-profit public interest organization created to protect imperiled species and habitats within the Greater Gila Ecosystem of southwest New Mexico and eastern Arizona. Through public education, Endangered Species Act petitions, appeals and litigation, it seeks to restore and protect the integrity of the Greater Gila Ecosystem.
    [Show full text]
  • Red-Spotted Newt Fact Sheet
    WILDLIFE IN CONNECTICUT WILDLIFE FACT SHEET DENNIS QUINN Eastern Red-spotted Newt Notophthalmus v. viridescens Background and Range The red-spotted newt (also commonly referred to as the eastern newt) is widespread and familiar in many areas of Connecticut. Newts have four distinct life stages: egg, aquatic larvae, terrestrial juvenial (or “eft”), and aquatic adult. Their life cycle is one of the most complex of all the salamanders; starting as an egg, hatching into a larvae with external gills, then migrating to terrestrial habitats as juveniles where gills are replaced with lungs, and returning a few years later to their aquatic habitats as adults which retain their lungs. In Connecticut, the newt is found statewide, but more prominently west of the Connecticut River. The red-spotted newt has many subspecies and an extensive range throughout the United States. Description The adult red-spotted newt has smooth skin that is overall greenish in color, with small black dots scattered on the back and a row of several black-bordered reddish-orange spots on each side of the back. Male newts have black rough patches on the inside of their thighs and on the bottom tip of their hind toes during the breeding season. Adult newts are usually 3 to 5 inches in length. The juvenile, or eft, stage of the red-spotted newt is bright orange in color with small black dots scattered on the back and a row of larger, black-bordered orange spots on each side of the back. The skin is rough and dry compared to the moist and smooth skin of adults and larvae.
    [Show full text]
  • A Nephroblastoma in a Fire-Bellied Newt, Cynops Pyrrhogaster1
    [CANCER RESEARCH 30, 2691-2694, November 1970] A Nephroblastoma in a Fire-bellied Newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster1 P. Zwart Department for Exotic Animals, Veterinary Faculty, Biltstraat 172, Utrecht, The Netherlands SUMMARY According to the owner, this animal was imported from China via Hongkong, and it appeared to be in good condi A large intraabdominal tumor, consisting of renal blasto- tion at the time of purchase, 6 weeks prior to presentation. matous cells, early defective stages of glomerules, and undif- During the preceding few weeks, the animal had lost ferentiated tubular structures is described in a fully grown appetite, and become very thin and sluggish in its move female fire-bellied newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster). Questions of ments; recently, it had developed a posterior paralysis. Upon nomenclature of renal embryonal tumors in lower vertebrates inspection, the newt appeared emaciated; the movements of are briefly discussed. The tumor is designated a nephro- the hind legs were hampered by a large swelling within the blastoma. abdomen, which dorsally distended the left flank. A firm mass with an irregular surface giving the impression of INTRODUCTION multiloculated, pea-sized cysts was palpable; it appeared to Nephroblastomas seem to be very rare in animals with be adherent to the abdominal wall. A few drops of a watery mesonephritic kidneys (fishes and amphibia), although fluid were obtained on aspiration. In view of the poor immense numbers of many species are kept as pets and in condition of the animal, the rapid development of the laboratories. A single case was recorded in the steelhead disease, and the extent of the swelling, the prognosis was trout (5).
    [Show full text]
  • Italian Crested Newt – Triturus Carnifex Laurenti, 1768 (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae, Pleurodelinae) in the Batrachofauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Short Note Hyla VOL. 2015., No.2, pp. 52 - 55 ISSN: 1848-2007 Zimić & Šunje Italian crested newt – Triturus carnifex Laurenti, 1768 (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae, Pleurodelinae) in the batrachofauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 1,2,* ADNAN ZIMIĆ & EMINA ŠUNJE 1Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Hercegovina "ATRA", Sarajevo, B&H 2Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, Sarajevo, B&H *Corresponding author: [email protected] Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has a high finally elevated to the species level (ARNTZEN et al., biogeographic importance for Balkan batrachofauna 2007; FROST, 2015). Old literature data (e.g. BOLKAY, biodiversity with 12 amphibian chorotypes (JABLONSKI 1929) mentioning T. carnifex in B&H should be treated et al., 2012) and 20 amphibian species (LELO & VESNIĆ, as findings of Triturus macedonicus (Figure 1). 2011; ĆURIĆ & ZIMIĆ, 2014; FROST, 2015). Hereby we Morphologically the three species belonging to the genus present the first official record of the 21st species known Triturus [T. dobrogicus (KIRITZESCU, 1903), T. carnifex for the B&H batrachofauna: Triturus carnifex LAURENTI, (LAURENTI, 1768) and T. macedonicus (KARAMAN, 1768. 1922)] can be distinguished by coloration and spotting During a long amphibian research period in pattern, Wolterstorff index – WI and Number of Rib- B&H (from: MÖELLENDORFF, 1873 – till present), T. Bearing Vertebrae – NRBV (WIELSTRA & ARNTZEN, carnifex has actually never been officially listed in the 2011; ARNTZEN et al., 2015). B&H fauna for two main reasons: (a) although it has From May 25 – 27. 2015, three females and one been known that the species occurs in the northwestern male of T.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Southeastern Us Coastal Plain
    1 In Press: 2000. Chapter XX. Pages __-__ in Richard C. Bruce, Robert J. Jaeger, and Lynn D. Houck, editors. The Biology of the Plethodontidae. Plenum Publishing Corp., New York, N. Y. SOUTHEASTERN U. S. COASTAL PLAIN HABITATS OF THE PLETHODONTIDAE: THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIEF, RAVINES, AND SEEPAGE D. BRUCE MEANS Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy, 1313 N. Duval Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303, USA 1. INTRODUCTION Because the Coastal Plain is geologically and biologically a very distinct region of the southeastern United States -- the southern portion having a nearly subtropical climate -- the life cycles, ecology, and evolutionary relationships of its plethodontid salamanders may be significantly different from plethodontids in the Appalachians and Piedmont. Little attention has been paid, however, to Coastal Plain plethodontids. For instance, of the 133 scientific papers and posters presented at the four plethodontid salamander conferences held in Highlands, North Carolina, since 1972, only three (2%) dealt with Coastal Plain plethodontids. And yet, while it possesses fewer total species than the Appalachians and Piedmont, the Coastal Plain boasts of slightly more plethodontid diversity at the generic level. The genera Phaeognathus, Haideotriton, and Stereochilus are Coastal Plain endemics, whereas in the Appalachians and Piedmont Gyrinophilus is the only endemic genus unless one accepts Leurognathus apart from Desmognathus. In addition, Aneides is found in the Appalachians and not the Coastal Plain, but the genus also occurs in the western U. S. All the rest of the plethodontid genera east of the Mississippi River are shared by the Coastal Plain with the Appalachians and Piedmont. Geographically, the Coastal Plain includes Long Island in New York, and stretches south from the New Jersey Pine Barrens to include all of Florida, then west to Texas (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • PA Salamanders
    Summer 2012 by Andrew Fedor Longtail Salamander Salamanders are not Pennsylvania’s most noticeable residents. You may have seen them swimming in the weeds near the shore of a lake, crossing roads in the evening after an early spring rain or while flipping over stones and logs Northern Red Salamander in search of other critters. Most of the time, a venomous bite. salamanders are out of Neither of these myths sight or misunderstood. are true. Salamanders Many are small, secretive are spectacular and come out only when animals that are an conditions are right. important part of the Some people think that environment. Read on Four-toed Salamander they are lizards or have to learn all about them. www.fishandboat.com Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2012 45 Many salamanders have a life Salamanders and other cycle similar to frogs and toads. amphibians like to breed They begin by emerging from in vernal pools, because eggs as larvae and later change predatory fish do not into adults. This transformation is live there. Many species called metamorphosis. brood or stay with their Adult female salamanders eggs to protect them Marbled Salamander lay eggs in the spring, summer from predators until or fall. The eggs are laid they hatch. individually, in small or large Eggs that are laid in masses or in long strands. Eggs ponds or streams hatch are laid in a moist environment, into larvae that must often a pond or vernal pool but live in the water. The sometimes under rocks or logs. A larvae look like miniature vernal pool is a seasonal pool of adults but with feathery Northern Dusky Salamander water that typically forms in the gills extending near their spring.
    [Show full text]
  • Delaware Basin: Tables 1
    Delaware Table 3. Species of Greatest Conservation Need currently occurring in the Delaware Basin. Species are sorted alphabetically by taxonomic group and species common name. The Species Group designation is included, indicating which Species Group Report in the appendix will contain the full information about the species. The Stability of this basin's population is also indicated for each species. TaxaGroup Species SpeciesGroup Stability Bird American bittern Freshwater marsh nesting birds Decreasing Bird American woodcock Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Bald eagle Bald Eagle Increasing Bird Bicknell's Thrush High altitude conifer forest birds Unknown Bird Black-billed cuckoo Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Black-throated blue warbler Deciduous/mixed forest breeding birds Stable Bird Blue-winged warbler Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Bobolink Grassland birds Decreasing Bird Brown thrasher Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Canada warbler Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Cerulean warbler Deciduous/mixed forest breeding birds Increasing Bird Common nighthawk Common nighthawk Decreasing Bird Cooper's hawk Forest breeding raptors Increasing Bird Eastern meadowlark Grassland birds Decreasing Bird Golden eagle Forest breeding raptors Unknown Bird Golden-winged warbler Early successional forest/shrubland birds Decreasing Bird Grasshopper sparrow Grassland birds Decreasing Bird Horned lark Grassland birds Decreasing
    [Show full text]
  • Successful Reproduction of the Mole Salamander Ambystoma Talpoideum in Captivity, with an Emphasis on Stimuli Environmental Determinants
    SHORT NOTE The Herpetological Bulletin 141, 2017: 28-31 Successful reproduction of the mole salamander Ambystoma talpoideum in captivity, with an emphasis on stimuli environmental determinants AXEL HERNANDEZ Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technics, University Pasquale Paoli of Corsica, Corte, 20250, France Author Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT - Generating and promoting evidence-based husbandry protocols for urodeles, commonly known as newts and salamanders, is urgently needed because most of the up-to-date ex situ programs are focused on frogs and toads than Urodela. Data on biology, life history, ecology and environmental parameters are lacking for many species and are needed to establish suitable husbandry and breeding conditions in captive environments. Two adult females and two adult males, of the mole salamander Ambystoma talpoideum successfully reproduced in captivity. It was found that reproduction of this species depends on various complex stimuli: including natural photoperiod 12:12, rainwater (acidic to neutral pH) and an aquarium full of various debris. Additionally high temperature variations ranging from 2 °C to 17 °C (a decrease followed by an increase) between November and February showed that it is possible to breed adults in aquariums provided the right stimuli are applied at the right moment of time in winter. A. talpoideum shows an explosive breeding mode as previously reported for the whole genus Ambystoma. INTRODUCTION with an emphasis on the environmental determinant stimuli involved. These data may assist in improving breeding these ince the 1980s, the current global amphibian extinction salamanders under artificial conditions. crisis has been discussed and acknowledged (Wake, A.
    [Show full text]