Burrow Use by Salamandrella keyserlingii (Caudata: Hynobiidae)

Abstract

We determined the use of refugia by salamanders during daytime in summer and characteristics of these refugia in Salamandrella keyserlingii at Shaamar, Mongolia. Refugia were located at mean distance of 4.17 m from the edge of the water. Among these refugia, blind tunnels within grasslands (mean distance = 7.50 m) were farther apart than open burrows distributed along a steep slope of a pond-shore (2.49 m). Subterranean burrows having mean depth of 15.4 cm were utilized temporarily (individuals captured only once) with proportional habitat use of 0.704 (19/27 refugia). Mean temperature was lower in burrows/under logs (16.22°C) than in ambient air (26.70°C) or among grasslands (25.10°C). Mean relative humidity was higher in burrows/under logs (85.54%) or among grasslands (75.53%) than in ambient air (48.33%). Mean illumination intensity was 27.0 lx in burrows/under logs and 17,188.1 lx on the surface out of refugia. Mean soil pH was 7.52 beneath salamanders in refugia.