Fecal Pellet Mass as a Function of Body Size, Color Morph, and Season in Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818) (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)

Authors

  • Geoff Smith Denison University
  • Sheku
  • Logan Smith
  • Wesley Smith

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/jnah.v2021i2.15229

Keywords:

Caudata, Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Feces, Ohio, Plethodontidae

Abstract

In plethodontid salamanders, fecal pellets have a variety of behavioral functions related to chemical communication. We examined how fecal pellet mass in the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) varies with body size, color morph, and season. Fecal pellet mass increased with salamander size. Striped P. cinereus produced heavier fecal pellets than unstriped P. cinereus. Fecal pellet size tended to be greater in the spring than in the fall. Our results suggest further investigations of the factors governing fecal pellet size in plethodontid salamanders is warranted.

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Published

2021-12-11

Issue

Vol. 2021 No. 2: Journal of North American Herpetology

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Geoff Smith, Sheku, Logan Smith, Wesley Smith

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright is held by the authors.   Articles in JNAH are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

How to Cite

Smith, G., Henry, A., Smith, L., & Smith, W. (2021). Fecal Pellet Mass as a Function of Body Size, Color Morph, and Season in Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818) (Amphibia: Plethodontidae). Journal of North American Herpetology, 2021(2). https://doi.org/10.17161/jnah.v2021i2.15229