Experimental Study of Mimicry in Salamanders involving Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens and Pseudotriton ruber schencki

Abstract

THE aposematically coloured eft stage of the red spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens, is both toxic and noxious to potential predators. The black chinned red salamander, Pseudotriton ruber schencki, is the most common red-orange salamander other than eft N. v. viridescens in the vicinity of the Highlands Biological Station in North Carolina. This study provides experimental evidence that P. r. schencki is a Batesian mimic of N. v. viridescens.