Laboratory Encounters between Attending Desmognathus ochropaeus (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae) Females and Potential Predators

Abstract

Confrontations were staged in the laboratory between attending (brooding) female salamanders and known or suspected predators. Females successfully defended their eggs against conspecific predators of various age and sex classes, and against ground beetles, but were not as successful against large heterospecific salamanders and ringneck snakes. A qualitative summary of these encounters is presented. Agonistic behavior by urodeles has been reported by several investigators, most recently Brandon and Huheey (1971); Brodie (1977); Dodd (1977); Thurow (1975). These reports suggest that agonistic behavior among urodeles may potentially serve as a form of social communication facilitating resource partitionment, or as an antipredator device. This paper examines the latter of these roles as manifested by the attending behavior of the mountain dusky salamander, Desmognathus ochrophaeus. With the exception of brief comments by Dennis (1962); Gordon (1952); Highton and Savage (1962); Tilley (1972), first hand published reports of the role of brooding female salamanders as an antipredator device are virtually absent from the literature. I have shown that parental care in D. ochrophaeus enhances survival of the clutch (Forester, 1974; MS). Here I describe qualitatively the encounters between attendants and selected predators. The observations suggest that the female varies her antagonistic response toward different potential predators, a phenomenon which warrants more thorough investigation.