Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) May Exhibit an Ontogenetic Dietary Shift
Hecht KA, Nickerson MA, Colclough PB. 2017. Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) May Exhibit an Ontogenetic Dietary Shift. Southeastern Naturalist. 16(2):157-162
ABSTRACT: Organisms in lotic habitats often experience dietary shifts over their lifetime. The diet of adult Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Hellbender) is well studied throughout the species’ range, but knowledge regarding the natural history of larval Hellbenders, including dietary information, remains scarce. We obtained non-lethal diet samples from 23 larval Hellbenders. Larval Hellbenders consumed primarily invertebrate prey including mayfly (Ephemeroptera) and caddisfly (Trichoptera) nymphs. Since these items do not comprise a large proportion of the adult diet, Hellbenders may undergo an ontogenetic dietary shift. Therefore, future management and conservation decisions regarding the Hellbender should consider the abundance and density of aquatic insect populations.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Hecht, Kirsten; Nickerson, Max; Colclough, Phillip
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Amphibian, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, diet, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00822, hellbender, Little River, ontogenetic shift, salamander, SER, Southeast Region