Ontogeny of Aquatic Feeding Performance in the Eastern Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens (Salamandridae)

Copeia ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 1988 (1) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Reilly ◽  
George V. Lauder
Keyword(s):  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Feeding Performance ◽  
Eastern Newt

Rapid Change in Life-Cycle Polyphenism across a Subspecies Boundary of the Eastern Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuki K. Takahashi ◽  
Yukiko Y. Takahashi ◽  
Matthew J. Parris
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Eastern Newt

Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) larvae alter morphological but not chemical defenses in response to predator cues

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly H. Brossman ◽  
Bradley E. Carlson ◽  
Amber N. Stokes ◽  
Tracy Langkilde
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Chemical Defenses ◽  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Eastern Newt ◽  
Larval Toxicity

Prey traits are often modified in response to exposure to predators, a phenomenon known as predator-induced phenotypic plasticity. Morphological plasticity in response to predator cues is well documented in amphibians; however, predator-induced chemical defenses have received relatively little attention. The Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens (Rafinesque, 1820)), which possesses tetrodotoxin—a toxin for chemical defense, is most vulnerable to predation during its larval stage. We assessed whether exposing Eastern Newt larvae to predator scent cues (from dragonfly larvae) would elicit change in their morphological and chemical defenses. Newt larvae exposed to scent cues of predatory dragonfly larvae exhibited significantly greater tail depths, which should increase survival of attempted predation by allowing them to swim faster, but did not differ in mass, snout–vent length, or tail length. Toxin concentrations in newt larvae were not significantly affected by exposure to these predator cues. Larval toxicity may be derived maternally or environmentally and is inflexible, or induced toxicity may only be detectable later in development. Predator-induced phenotypic plasticity, especially of chemical defenses, warrants greater attention, as potentially important outcomes of species interactions remain unclear.

Changes in the gut microbial community of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) across its three distinct life stages

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha S Fontaine ◽  
Patrick M Mineo ◽  
Kevin D Kohl
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Selective Forces ◽  
Eastern Newt ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Gut Microbial Community

ABSTRACT Understanding the forces that shape vertebrate gut microbial community assembly and composition throughout development is a major focus of the microbiome field. Here, we utilize the complex life cycle of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) as a natural wild model to compare the effects of host and environmental factors on gut microbiome development. We compared bacterial inventories of each of the newt's three physiologically distinct developmental stages to determine if each hosted a unique community, or if the two stages which share an aquatic habitat (larvae and adults) harbored more similar communities than those of the third stage, the terrestrial juvenile eft. Additionally, we assessed how the contribution of selective processes to gut microbial assembly changed through development. We found that structurally, each life stage harbored a distinct community, which may be attributable to host factors. Further, across development, we found that community assembly processes shifted from a predominance of neutral to selective forces. However, habitat may also be important in determining community membership and diversity due the uniqueness of eft communities based on these metrics. Our results are similar to those in other vertebrate taxa, suggesting that gut microbiota assembly processes may be conserved across diverse lineages.

scholarly journals Roadkill of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in a protected area in Quebec

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
David C. Seburn ◽  
Elena Kreuzberg ◽  
Leah Viau
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Notophthalmus Viridescens ◽  
Road Mortality ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Eastern Newt

Roadkill is a threat to populations of many amphibian species, including Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), which is widespread in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Little is known about the level of road mortality experienced by dispersing Eastern Newts in Canada. During extensive road surveys from May to October 2016 and 2017, 279 dead Eastern Newt efts were found on roads in Gatineau Park, Quebec. We found 107 dead Eastern Newts along a 425 m section of road in 2016, but only 30 dead individuals at the same location in 2017. Thus, although the amount of roadkill can vary annually, it may pose a significant threat to the species in some areas.

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