Exploring the courtship behaviors in the Three-Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
Disciplines
Animal Sciences | Behavior and Ethology | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Plethodontidae is the most diverse and largest family of salamanders. From the Southeastern United States to the West Coast and even parts of South America, plethodontid salamanders inhabit a wide range of habitats. Prior to internal fertilization through the external transfer of a spermatophore, all plethodontid salamanders engage in ritualized courtship behaviors. These behaviors are variable among species and play an important role in prezygotic isolation, but they remain undescribed in many species—including some that are widespread and common in Georgia. In this study, we describe the previously undocumented courtship behaviors of the Three-Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata), also including the role of females. We collected a total of two female and four male of E. guttolineata, during the courtship season, which were maintained in the lab, and conducted courtship trials with all possible pairs of males and females. We conducted trials in a separate container, recorded each using a GoPro, and allowed for three hours to give ample time for the salamanders to commence and conclude the courtship rituals. After each trial, we cataloged the behaviors using an ethogram. Here, we present preliminary qualitative and quantitative results from these trials, which included behaviors such as pheromone delivery through snapping and rubbing, tail-straddle walk, and spermatophore deposition.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Todd Pierson
Exploring the courtship behaviors in the Three-Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata)
Plethodontidae is the most diverse and largest family of salamanders. From the Southeastern United States to the West Coast and even parts of South America, plethodontid salamanders inhabit a wide range of habitats. Prior to internal fertilization through the external transfer of a spermatophore, all plethodontid salamanders engage in ritualized courtship behaviors. These behaviors are variable among species and play an important role in prezygotic isolation, but they remain undescribed in many species—including some that are widespread and common in Georgia. In this study, we describe the previously undocumented courtship behaviors of the Three-Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata), also including the role of females. We collected a total of two female and four male of E. guttolineata, during the courtship season, which were maintained in the lab, and conducted courtship trials with all possible pairs of males and females. We conducted trials in a separate container, recorded each using a GoPro, and allowed for three hours to give ample time for the salamanders to commence and conclude the courtship rituals. After each trial, we cataloged the behaviors using an ethogram. Here, we present preliminary qualitative and quantitative results from these trials, which included behaviors such as pheromone delivery through snapping and rubbing, tail-straddle walk, and spermatophore deposition.