Notes on Reproduction in the Brownback Salamander (Eurycea aquatica)

Abstract

Life history data often are lacking for species with an uncertain taxonomic status. As phylogenetic analyses improve and our understanding of species boundaries become more refined, ecological information should likewise keep pace. Here, we report information on the timing of reproduction, clutch size, and nest attendance for the Brownback Salamander (Eurycea aquatica), a species recently documented to be a separate lineage after a long, controversial systematic history. We confirm that this species has the largest clutch size of any lineage within the Eurycea bislineata complex, and suggest that male and male-female nest attendance is not uncommon in this species. We suggest that, in addition to the genetic divergence documented between E. aquatica and other members of the E. bislineata complex, ecological differences also are present and possibly are influenced by the unique springs inhabited by Brownback Salamanders.