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8 August 2015 Predator-Induced Defenses in Five Species of Larval Ambystoma
Heather M. Shaffery, Rick A. Relyea
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Abstract

While predator-induced plasticity has been demonstrated in a wide range of organisms, relatively few data exist to compare differences among species. In studies of predator-induced plasticity in amphibians, larval anurans have been widely examined, but there are fewer data for larval salamanders. We sought to examine morphological and behavioral defenses in larvae of five species of Ambystoma salamanders. We raised five species of larval mole salamanders (A. barbouri, A. gracile, A. laterale, A. maculatum, A. tigrinum) in separate lab experiments and exposed them to predator cues from larval dragonflies (Anax junius). Salamanders did not vary in their refuge use during the experiment, but A. gracile, A. laterale, and A. tigrinum reduced their activity in the presence of predators early in development. Dragonfly cues induced relatively few morphological changes across species: A. barbouri developed relatively large heads and deep tails, A. gracile and A. laterale developed relatively shorter heads, and A. maculatum developed relatively wider heads and shorter tails. Our results suggest that behavioral and morphological defenses in Ambystoma are highly variable among species and they appear to be less plastic than tadpoles and other salamander species.

© 2015 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
Heather M. Shaffery and Rick A. Relyea "Predator-Induced Defenses in Five Species of Larval Ambystoma," Copeia 103(3), 552-562, (8 August 2015). https://doi.org/10.1643/CE-14-043
Received: 11 March 2014; Accepted: 1 April 2015; Published: 8 August 2015
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