Duration of Immobility in Salamanders, Genus Plethodon (Caudata: Plethodontidae)
Dodd CK. 1989. Duration of Immobility in Salamanders, Genus Plethodon (Caudata: Plethodontidae). Herpetologica. 45(4):467-473
Immobility is a potentially important antipredator behavior in salamanders, especiallyfor those possessing noxious skin secretions. The duration of immobility in 15 species ofterrestrial salamanders (Plethodon) varied among species. Most salamanders (78.8%) became immobile when initially contacted under field conditions, and remained immobile from 1-180 s.Immobility duration was inversely correlated with substrate temperature and covaried with airtemperature, but snout-vent length (SVL) had no effect on duration. Only immobility times ofPlethodon shenandoah were significantly different from any other species. Substrate temperature, air temperature, SVL, and species accounted for only a small percentage of the variance (r2 = 0.09). The degree of disturbance received during a predator-prey encounter is probably more important than the subtle effects of temperature and SVL in determining immobility duration.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Dodd, C
- Units
- GRSM , SHEN
- Keywords
- Amphibians, Animal Behavior, Animal Communities (Wildlife), Animal Studies, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00105, Immobility; Death-feigning; Defensive behavior; Plethodon, Immobilization, NC, Research Report, Salamanders (Caudata), SER, Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah), Southeast Region, TN