Many species of amphibians and reptiles shed and sometimes consume all or part of the slough (dermatophagy). However, detailed accounts of these behaviors are lacking. The potential relationship between sloughing and social behavior in amphibians is largely unexplored. Herein, I describe 4 observations of shedding and 1 of dermatophagy during courtship for 2 species of lungless salamanders (Family Plethodontidae): Desmognathus valentinei (Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander) and Desmognathus conanti (Spotted Dusky Salamander). Two of the salamanders were recently inseminated females and each lost a sperm cap during shedding. I explore multiple hypotheses for the potential relationship between courtship and shedding in lungless salamanders, including the possibility that shedding serves as a means of cryptic female choice.
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3 August 2019
Skin Sloughing and Sperm Cap Loss during Courtship in Dusky Salamanders (Genus Desmognathus)
Jennifer Y. Lamb
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Southeastern Naturalist
Vol. 18 • No. 3
September 2019
Vol. 18 • No. 3
September 2019