Growth and foraging consequences of facultative paedomorphosis in the tiger salamander,Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard H. Whiteman ◽  
Scott A. Wissinger ◽  
Wendy S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
Facultative Paedomorphosis ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum

Accuracy Assessment of Skeletochronology in the Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum)

Copeia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Eden ◽  
Howard H. Whiteman ◽  
Leon Duobinis-Gray ◽  
Scott A. Wissinger
Keyword(s):  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum

Seasonal movement patterns in a subalpine population of the tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 1780-1787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard H. Whiteman ◽  
Scott A. Wissinger ◽  
Andrew J. Bohonak
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
Seasonal Movements ◽  
Tiger Salamanders ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum ◽  
Branchinecta Coloradensis

Seasonal movements of a subalpine population of metamorphic tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum, were explored from 1990 to 1992. Metamorphic adults bred in permanent and semipermanent habitats during June of each year. After breeding, soma individuals returned to the terrestrial environment, but many remained and congregated in nonpermanent ponds. Metamorphic adults in nonpermanent ponds included those that moved from permanent ponds, those that bred and remained in semipermanent ponds, and those that did not breed but migrated from the terrestrial environment after the breeding season. Dietary analyses indicated that metamorphic adults in nonpermanent ponds have significantly greater numbers, biomass, and calories of prey in their gut than the few metamorphic adults remaining in permanent ponds. This difference was due to the presence of fairy shrimp (Branchinecta coloradensis), which composed 91 % of metamorphic adult diets in nonpermanent ponds and accounted for three times the average caloric value of all prey in gut samples from metamorphic adults in permanent ponds. Intraspecific competition also may have contributed to movement into nonpermanent ponds: post-breeding densities of metamorphic adults in permanent ponds were inversely related to the densities of other morphs (paedo-morphic adults and large larvae). We conclude that metamorphic A. t. nebulosum in this population utilize nonpermanent ponds after the breeding season because of the abundance of high-quality aquatic prey and reduced competition from con-specific morphs.

Potential of prey size and type to affect foraging asymmetries in tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) larvae

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (10) ◽  
pp. 1726-1735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B Johnson ◽  
Paulette Bierzychudek ◽  
Howard H Whiteman
Keyword(s):  
Size Structure ◽  
Prey Size ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
Predator Population ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum Nebulosum

Although competitive interactions within predator populations are known to depend on their size structure, we understand less about how these interactions are influenced by prey characteristics. Most studies of such interactions for tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) larvae have used small zooplankton prey. We investigate the potential of exploitation and interference competition to influence the success of tiger salamander larvae feeding on relatively large prey, mayfly and damselfly larvae. We measured salamander foraging efficiency for a range of salamander and prey sizes and observed aggression levels of salamanders of varying size housed together. Exploitative foraging efficiency (captures per attempts) increased with salamander size but was better predicted by relative prey size (prey size as a percentage of salamander snout–vent length) than by salamander size alone; it also depended significantly on prey type. Aggression (interference) levels were higher when prey were present, and larger salamanders were more aggressive than smaller ones but did not consume more mayfly prey. Our results suggest that investigating the environmental conditions, particularly the prey characteristics, that influence size-based competitive advantages will lead to a better understanding of predator population dynamics.

scholarly journals Short-term storage of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa: The effect of collection type, temperature and time

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245047
Author(s):  
Amanda B. Gillis ◽  
Emmet L. Guy ◽  
Andrew J. Kouba ◽  
Peter J. Allen ◽  
Ruth M. Marcec-Greaves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Hormone Treatment ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
Storage Duration ◽  
Spermatozoa Motility ◽  
Over Time

The aims of this project were to characterize tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) spermatozoa motility over time, when excreted as either milt or spermic urine prior to packaging into a spermatophore, and to determine the effect of temperature on sperm motility. A split-plot design was utilized to assess the motility of the two pre-spermatophore sample types at two temperatures, 0°C and 20°C (n = 10 for each treatment). Spermiation was induced through exogenous hormone treatment of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog in order to collect both milt and spermic urine, which were evaluated for motility, divided into two separate aliquots, and subsequently stored in either an ice-bath (0°C) or on the benchtop (20°C). The decay rate of sperm motility was assessed by reevaluating subsamples at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 24 hours following the initial assessment. Results showed that sperm stored at 0°C had significantly higher progressive, non-progressive, and total motility for both sperm collection types over time. An interaction was found between collection type and time, with milt exhibiting lower initial motility that was more sustainable over time, compared to spermic urine. For both milt and spermic urine, motility decreased rapidly with storage duration, indicating samples should be used as soon as possible to maximize motility for in-vitro fertilization and cryopreservation. This is the first study to describe the differences in sperm motility between milt and spermic urine from an internally fertilizing caudate and demonstrates the benefits of near freezing temperatures on sperm longevity.

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