Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Room 137B
Start Date
15-5-2014
End Date
15-5-2014
Keywords
Prey capture, Behavioral morphology, Dicamptodon tenebrosus
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 which feed on a diverse array of prey items (arthropods, annelids, small mammals, and reptiles). Objectives of our study were to describe and quantify the behavior of terrestrial adult coastal giant salamanders (D. tenebrosus). While there has been much research conducted on aquatic phase D. tenebrosus, little is known about their terrestrial counterparts. Feeding bouts of three distinct prey types (e.g., crickets, earthworms, and slugs) were recorded using high-speed video (420-1000 frames/second) recorded with a Casio Exlim EX-ZR100 digital camera. For a feeding trial, salamanders were offered a prey item with forceps. Trials were repeated on separated days with each salamander (N=12) being exposed to equal ratios of prey items. Videos were analyzed for velocity of initial strike, lingual projection, lower and upper jaw prehension, and feeding success. Non-metric multi-dimensional 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. Additionally some comparative analysis will be conducted using the tiger salamander (Abystoma tigrinum) and the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) on the mechanics of prey capture in amphibian taxa.
Recommended Citation
Westervelt, Laura; Reavill, David; Richbourg, Sara; and Fessler, Brandon, "Kinematic Analysis of Prey Capture in Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)" (2014). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 101.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/oralpresentations/101
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Kinematic Analysis of Prey Capture in Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)
SURC Room 137B
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 which feed on a diverse array of prey items (arthropods, annelids, small mammals, and reptiles). Objectives of our study were to describe and quantify the behavior of terrestrial adult coastal giant salamanders (D. tenebrosus). While there has been much research conducted on aquatic phase D. tenebrosus, little is known about their terrestrial counterparts. Feeding bouts of three distinct prey types (e.g., crickets, earthworms, and slugs) were recorded using high-speed video (420-1000 frames/second) recorded with a Casio Exlim EX-ZR100 digital camera. For a feeding trial, salamanders were offered a prey item with forceps. Trials were repeated on separated days with each salamander (N=12) being exposed to equal ratios of prey items. Videos were analyzed for velocity of initial strike, lingual projection, lower and upper jaw prehension, and feeding success. Non-metric multi-dimensional 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. Additionally some comparative analysis will be conducted using the tiger salamander (Abystoma tigrinum) and the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) on the mechanics of prey capture in amphibian taxa.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Wagner, Steve