Behavioral responses of two color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) to novel urban environments

Behavioral responses of two color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) to novel urban environments

Presenter(s)

Amy Q. Friemoth

Comments

Presentation: 2:00-2:20, Kennedy Union 207

Description

Human modified landscapes can provide challenging new environments that can lead to rapid changes in species traits. In temperate forest ecosystems, salamanders play a critical role in forest floor dynamics, but populations are now faced with rapid habitat change, which can lead local extinctions unless these species behaviorally adapt. The Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is the most common salamander species in Ohio and serves as a model species for examining the effects of anthropogenic change. Further, the Eastern Red-backed Salamander poses two common color morphs (striped and unstriped) that appear to differ in their responses to environmental change. Here, I investigated how urbanization differentially influences behavioral responses of the two color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander. I collected 20 striped and 20 unstriped individuals from Caesar Creek State Park, Ohio. I exposed them to a novel environment (cement paver) and novel objects (anthropogenic waste) to test exploration and neophobia behaviors. We are examining these variations in behavior and will run statistical models to test whether the morphs differ in their behavioral responses to these anthropogenic pressures. Based on previous studies, we expect the striped morph to display more bold behaviors and ultimately do better with urbanization. This work will highlight whether both color morphs persist with rapid habitat modification which will have important implications for other North American salamanders as many species share the same color phenotypes and may be responding similarly.

Publication Date

4-17-2024

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Maggie M. Hantak

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Behavioral responses of two color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) to novel urban environments

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