Metacercariae of Clinostomum attenuatum in Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium, Bufo cognatus and Spea multiplicata from west Texas

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.L. Miller ◽  
C.R. Bursey ◽  
M.J. Gray ◽  
L.M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
First Record ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Tiger Salamanders ◽  
Spea Multiplicata ◽  
West Texas ◽  
Bufo Cognatus

AbstractTissues from barred tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium), Great Plains toads (Bufo cognatus) and New Mexico spadefoots (Spea multiplicata) collected from 16 playa wetlands in Texas during 1999 and 2000 were examined by light microscopy. Digenean cysts were primarily distributed subcutaneously throughout the specimens and occasionally coelomic invasion was noted. The parasites within the cysts were 1.5–2 mm in diameter, with a thin (c. 10 μm wide) eosinophilic-staining tegument, two suckers (oral and ventral), posteriorly located primordial genitalia and paired digestive caeca. These digeneans were identified as the metacercariae of Clinostomum attenuatum. This is the first record of Clinostomum attenuatum in these amphibian species.

Feeding ecology of polymorphic larval barred tiger salamanders in playas of the Southern Great Plains

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 554-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Ghioca-Robrecht ◽  
L. M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Stomach Content ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Southern Great Plains ◽  
Tiger Salamanders ◽  
Similar Body

In playas of the Southern Great Plains, larval barred tiger salamanders ( Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium Baird, 1850) (= Ambystoma mavortium mavortium ) are present as polymorphic populations. Typical and cannibal morphs have been previously investigated but intermediate forms have received little attention and their role in playa food web structure is unknown. We investigated the diet composition of these three morphotypes and compared diet preferences of typical versus nontypical morphs. Typical and intermediate morphs had similar body morphology (snout to vent length and stomach content mass), but cannibal morphs had larger stomach content mass than the other morphotypes. However, the intermediate morph had a distinctive diet composition from cannibal and typical individuals as determined by diet composition rankings, diet overlap and similarity indices, and diet diversity. By comparing prey availability versus consumption, we determined that nontypical morphs preferred larger invertebrates such as tadpole shrimps (Triopsidae) and fairy shrimps (Streptocephalidae), whereas typical morphs preferred smaller prey taxa like ostracods (Cyprididae) and water boatmen (Corixidae). Several prey taxa were avoided by all larvae suggesting that feeding in A. t. mavortium in playas is not opportunistic. Our study demonstrates that larval A. t. mavortium are present not only as dimorphic but also as polymorphic populations in playas and indicates that identifying these morphs is essential for the proper understanding of aquatic food webs.

Low Genetic Differentiation among Populations of the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in Southern New Mexico

Copeia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Jungels ◽  
Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle ◽  
Wiebke J. Boeing
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Bufo Cognatus ◽  
Toad Bufo
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