The first ecological study on the oldest allochthonous population of European cave salamanders (Hydromantes sp.)

Abstract

The introduction of allochthonous species often represents a serious problem for ecosystems and native species. Usually, these cases involve common widespread species that show high adaptability and strong competitiveness against local species. Within amphibians, the introduction of allochthonous species mainly deals with anurans, while cases involving caudata are few and poorly studied. We report the first assessment of an introduced population of European plethodontid salamanders. This population is located in the French Pyrenees and represents the oldest allochthonous Hydromantes population. We reconstructed the history of its introduction and collected data on the ecology and feeding habits of this population. Our results show that this population is stable and reproductive, showing strong similarities to Italian mainland species of Hydromantes. This study provided the base for further studies focused on this allochthonous population of European cave salamanders.