Territorial Salamanders Evaluate Size and Chitinous Content of Arthropod Prey
Jaeger RG. 1990. Territorial Salamanders Evaluate Size and Chitinous Content of Arthropod Prey. Behavioural Mechanisms of Food Selection. Lafayette, Louisiana
This report describes the feeding habits of Shenandoah National Park's salamanders their effects on mating and ecological interactions. Feeding territories provide an interesting area in which study the behavioral mechanisms of food selection, because theories of territorial economics (Brown, 1964) and of foraging economics (Stephens and Krebs, 1986) become closely allied. Foraging decisions by the territorial defender may be influenced not only by changing densities of various prey types, but also by other environmental fluctuations, by intrusions from food competitors and predators, and by opportunities for courtship. Yet if defending a particular area is crucial to a territorial resident's future fitness, then the ability of the resident to move to another area for foraging is limited. The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a territorial species confronted with several conflicting demands on its foraging abilities.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Jaeger, Robert
- Date of Issue
- 1990
- Units
- SHEN
- Keywords
- Amphibian, Arthropod Prey, Behavior, Chitinous Content, Evaluation, Mating, Prey, Salamander, Size, Terrestrial