Courtship behaviors of Three-Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata)

Abstract

The courtship behaviors of plethodontid salamanders have long been of interest to biologists studying topics
such as the evolution of complex phenotypes and the origin of reproductive isolation. However, the paucity of basic
natural history data for some salamanders — including some rather widely distributed and common species — creates
limitations for comparative research. We herein provide the first detailed account of courtship behaviors in Three-
Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata). We staged trials with wild-collected adults from near Atlanta, Georgia, and
observed courtship behaviors in seven of eight trials. Of those seven trials, all resulted in spermatophore deposition
and five resulted in successful spermatophore transfer. Overall, the courtship behaviors of E. guttolineata are similar to
those of other species in the genus and include “snapping” pheromone delivery — a behavior not previously observed
in the closest relatives of E. guttolineata. We provide an ethogram and preliminary interpretations of these behaviors
and encourage others to collect more basic natural history observations.