Kinematic Analysis of Prey Capture in Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom C/D
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
Salamanders use a variety of techniques to capture prey that involves a combination of lingual and jaw prehension. For example, some plethodontid salamanders often use ballistic tongue projection to capture prey. Salamanders of the family Dicamptodontidae are the largest sized terrestrial salamanders in the world and feed on a diverse array of prey items (arthropods, annelids, small mammals, and reptiles). The objectives of our study were to describe and quantify the behavior of terrestrial adult Coastal Giant Salamanders (D. tenebrosus). Feeding bouts of three distinct prey types (e.g., crickets, earthworms, and slugs) were recorded using high-speed video (420-1,000 frames/second) with a Casio Exlim EX-ZR100 digital camera. For a feeding trial, salamanders were placed in a clear viewing tank with five millimeter graph paper behind them and offered a single prey items with forceps. Trials were repeated on separated days with each salamander (N = 12) being exposed to three crickets, two earthworms, and one slug for a total of 144 trials. Videos were analyzed for velocity of initial strike, lingual projection, lower and upper jaw prehension, and feeding success. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated significant differences in feeding patterns among prey types. Lingual prehension was the prominent method of ingestion when a small prey item was offered (crickets) and the use of upper and lower mandible were used in a snapping motion with larger prey items (earthworms). Future work will incorporate different prey items, as well as examine prey preference and foraging behaviors of D. tenebrosus.
Recommended Citation
Westervelt, Laura, "Kinematic Analysis of Prey Capture in Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 73.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/posters/73
Poster Number
19
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Kinematic Analysis of Prey Capture in Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)
SURC Ballroom C/D
Salamanders use a variety of techniques to capture prey that involves a combination of lingual and jaw prehension. For example, some plethodontid salamanders often use ballistic tongue projection to capture prey. Salamanders of the family Dicamptodontidae are the largest sized terrestrial salamanders in the world and feed on a diverse array of prey items (arthropods, annelids, small mammals, and reptiles). The objectives of our study were to describe and quantify the behavior of terrestrial adult Coastal Giant Salamanders (D. tenebrosus). Feeding bouts of three distinct prey types (e.g., crickets, earthworms, and slugs) were recorded using high-speed video (420-1,000 frames/second) with a Casio Exlim EX-ZR100 digital camera. For a feeding trial, salamanders were placed in a clear viewing tank with five millimeter graph paper behind them and offered a single prey items with forceps. Trials were repeated on separated days with each salamander (N = 12) being exposed to three crickets, two earthworms, and one slug for a total of 144 trials. Videos were analyzed for velocity of initial strike, lingual projection, lower and upper jaw prehension, and feeding success. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated significant differences in feeding patterns among prey types. Lingual prehension was the prominent method of ingestion when a small prey item was offered (crickets) and the use of upper and lower mandible were used in a snapping motion with larger prey items (earthworms). Future work will incorporate different prey items, as well as examine prey preference and foraging behaviors of D. tenebrosus.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Steven Wagner