The courtship behaviour of the Apalachicola dusky salamander,Desmognathus apalachicolaeMeans & Karlin (Amphibia Caudata Plethodontidae)

Abstract

This paper provides the first description of the courtship behaviour of the plethodontid salamander Desmognathus apalachicolae. After a brief phase of orientation of the male to the female, most courtship interactions consist of the male stimulating his partner (in effect, “persuading” her to mate). Tactile stimuli are produced by the behaviour patterns “head-rubbing” and “stroking”. Chemical stimuli are provided by secretions from the male's mental (= chin) gland, which are transferred to the female by the behaviour patterns “snapping” and “pulling”. Courtship ends with indirect sperm transfer by means of a spermatophore deposited on the substrate. This phase is marked by a behaviour pattern known as “tail-straddle walk”, exhibited only by plethodontid salamanders. A complete understanding of the evolution of courtship behaviour in desmognathine salamanders awaits availability of detailed ethograms for all taxa currently recognized. However, it appears that patterns of sexual incompatibility observed amo...