Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) in Larzac plateau: low occurrence, pond-breeding and cohabitation of larvae with paedomorphic palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus)
[en] Alternative reproductive strategies are widespread in caudate amphibians. Among them, fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) usually rely on streams to give birth to aquatic larvae but also use ponds, whereas palmate newt larvae (Lissotriton helveticus) typically metamorphose into terrestrial juveniles, but can also reproduce in retaining their gills, a process known as paedomorphosis. Here we report repeated observations of an unusual case of coexistence of these two alternative traits in the same pond (Larzac, France). The prevalence of fire salamanders in Southern Larzac was very low (pond occupancy: 0.36%). The observed abundance of fire salamander larvae and paedomorphic newts was also low in the studied pond. On one hand, the rarity of this coexistence pattern may suggest that habitat characteristics may not be optimal or that competition or predation processes might be operating. However, these hypotheses remain to be tested. On the other hand, as this is the only known case of breeding in Southern Larzac, it could be considered to be at a high risk of extirpation.
Research center :
AFFISH-RC - Applied and Fundamental FISH Research Center - ULiège
Denoël, Mathieu ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Winandy, Laurane ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Language :
English
Title :
Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) in Larzac plateau: low occurrence, pond-breeding and cohabitation of larvae with paedomorphic palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus)
Publication date :
June 2014
Journal title :
Acta Herpetologica
ISSN :
1827-9635
eISSN :
1827-9643
Publisher :
Firenze University Press, Italy
Volume :
9
Issue :
1
Pages :
43-49
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE] ULg FSR - Université de Liège. Fonds spéciaux pour la recherche [BE]
Blaustein, L., Friedman, J., Fahima, T. (1996): Larval Salamandra drive temporary pool community dynamics: Evidence from an artificial pool experiment. Oikos 76: 392-402.
Buckley, D., Alcobendas, M., Garcia-Paris, M., Wake, M.H. (2007): Heterochrony, cannibalism, and the evolution of viviparity in Salamandra salamandra. Evol. Dev. 9: 105-115.
Caspers, B.A., Junge, C., Weitere, M., Steinfartz, S. (2009): Habitat adaptation rather than genetic distance correlates with female preference in fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Front. Zool. 6: 13.
Crochet, P.A., Chaline, O., Cheylan, M., Guillaume, C.P. (2004): No evidence of general decline in an amphibian community of southern France. Biol. Conserv. 119: 297-304.
Cruz, M.J., Rebelo, R., Crespo, E.G. (2006): Effects of an introduced crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, on the distribution of south-western Iberian amphibians in their breeding habitats. Ecography 29: 329-338.
Denoel, M. (2003): How do paedomorphic newts cope with lake drying? Ecography 26: 405-410.
Denoel, M. (2004): Feeding performance in heterochronic Alpine newts is consistent with trophic habits and maintenance of polymorphism. Ethology 110: 127-136.
Denoel, M. (2005): Habitat partitioning in facultatively paedomorphic populations of palmate newts Triturus helveticus. Ambio 34: 470-471.
Denoel, M. (2006): Seasonal variation of morph ratio in facultatively paedomorphic populations of the palmate newt Triturus helveticus. Acta Oecol. 29: 165-170.
Denoel, M. (2007): Priority areas of intraspecific diversity: Larzac, a global hotspot for facultative paedomorphosis in amphibians. Anim. Cons. 10: 110-118.
Denoel, M., Džukić, G., Kalezić, M.L. (2005): Effect of widespread fish introductions on paedomorphic newts in Europe. Conserv. Biol. 19: 162-170.
Denoel, M., Ficetola, G.F. (2014): Heterochrony in a complex world: disentangling environmental processes of facultative paedomorphosis in an amphibian. J. Anim. Ecol. 83. 606-615.
Denoel, M., Joly, P. (2001): Size-related predation reduces intramorph competition in paedomorphic Alpine newts. Can. J. Zool. 79: 943-948.
Denoel, M., Poncin, P., Ruwet, J.C. (2001): Sexual compatibility between two heterochronic morphs in the Alpine newt, Triturus alpestris. Anim. Behav. 62: 559-566.
Denoel, M., Schabetsberger, R., Joly, P. (2004): Trophic specialisations in alternative heterochronic morphs. Naturwissenschaften 91: 81-84.
Durand-Tullou, A. (1959): Un millieu de civilisation traditionnelle. Le Causse de Blandas. Published PhD Thesis. Faculte des Lettres et Sciences Humaines de Montpellier. Edition du Bedfroie.
Egea-Serrano, A., Oliva-Paterna, F.J., Torralva, M. (2006): Breeding habitat selection of Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758) in the most arid zone of its European distribution range: application to conservation management. Hydrobiologia 560: 363-371.
Ficetola, G.F., Manenti, R., De Bernardi, F., Padoa-Schioppa, E. (2012): Can patterns of spatial autocorrelation reveal population processes? An analysis with the fire salamander. Ecography 35: 693-703.
Ficetola, G.F., Siesa, M.E., Manenti, R., Bottoni, L., De Bernardi, F., Padoa-Schioppa, E. (2011): Early assessment of the impact of alien species: differential consequences of an invasive crayfish on adult and larval amphibians. Diversity Distrib. 17: 1141-1151.
Gabrion, J., Sentein, P., Gabrion, C. (1977): Les populations neoteniques de Triturus helveticus Raz. des Causses et du Bas-Languedoc. I. Repartition et caracteristiques. Rev. Ecol. 31: 489-506.
Geniez, P., Cheylan, M. (2012): Les amphibiens et les reptiles du Languedoc-Roussillon et regions limitrophes. Atlas biogeographique. Biotope & Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Meze and Paris.
Gonzalez-Hernandez, M., Denoel, M., Duffus, A.J.L., Garner, T.W.J., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2010): Dermocystid infection and associated skin lesions in free-living palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) from southern France. Parasitol. Int. 59: 344-350.
Guillaume, O. (2006): Role of interspecific communication on spatial segregation in the sympatric salamanders Calotriton asper and Salamandra salamandra (Amphibia: Salamandridae). Bull. Soc. Herp. Fr. 118: 5-16.
Manenti, R., Denoel, M., Ficetola, G.F. (2013): Foraging plasticity favours adaptation to new habitats in fire salamanders. Anim. Behav. 86: 375-382.
Manenti, R., Ficetola, G.F., Bianchi, B., de Bernardi, F. (2009a): Habitat features and distribution of Salamandra salamandra in underground springs. Acta Herpetol. 4: 143-151.
Manenti, R., Ficetola, G.F., De Bernardi, F. (2009b): Water, stream morphology and landscape: complex habitat determinants for the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra. Amphibia-Reptilia 30: 7-15.
Martinez-Solano, I., Barbadillo, L.J., Lapena, M. (2003): Effect of introduced fish on amphibian species richness and densities at a montane assemblage in the Sierra de Neila, Spain. Herpetol. J. 13: 167-173.
Pottier, G. (2008): Atlas de repartition des reptiles et amphibiens de Midi-Pyrenees. Nature Midi-Pyrenees, Toulouse.
Reilly, S.M. (1996): The metamorphosis of feeding kinematics in Salamandra salamandra and the evolution of terrestrial feeding behavior. J. Exp. Biol. 199: 1219-1227.
Reinhardt, T., Steinfartz, S., Paetzold, A., Weitere, M. (2013): Linking the evolution of habitat choice to ecosystem functioning: direct and indirect effects of pond-reproducing fire salamanders on aquatic-terrestrial subsidies. Oecologia 173: 281-291.
Riberon, A., Miaud, C. (2012): Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758). Salamandre tachetee. In: Atlas des amphibiens et reptiles de France, pp. 82-83. Lescure, J., de Massary, J.C., Eds, Biotope & Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Meze and Paris.
Schmidt, B.R., Schaub, M., Steinfartz, S. (2007): Apparent survival of the salamander Salamandra salamandra is low because of high migratory activity. Front. Zool. 4: 19.
Schulte, U. (2008): Phaenotypische Unterschiede bei Feuersalamanderlarven (Salamandra salamandra terrestris) in Still-und Fliessgewaessern im Kottenforst bei Bonn. Zeitschr. Feldherpetol. 15: 15-22.
Schulte, U., Kusters, D., Steinfartz, S. (2007): A PIT tag based analysis of annual movement patterns of adult fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in a Middle European habitat. Amphibia-Reptilia 28: 531-536.
Segev, O., Blaustein, L. (2007): Priority effects of the early breeding fire salamander on the late breeding bandednewt. Hydrobiologia: 275-283.
Spitzen-Van Der Sluijs, A.M., Spikmans, F., Bosman, W., de Zeeuw, M., van der Meij, T., Goverse, E., Kik, M., Pasmans, F., Martel, A. (2013): Rapid enigmatic decline drives the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) to the edge of extinction in the Netherlands. Amphibia-Reptilia 34: 233-239.
Steinfartz, S., Veith, M., Tautz, D. (2000): Mitochondrial sequence analysis of Salamandra taxa suggests old splits of major lineages and postglacial recolonizations of Central Europe from distinct source populations of Salamandra salamandra. Mol. Ecol. 9: 397-410.
Thiesmeier, B. (1994): Aspects of larval ecology of fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in middle Europe. In: Biology of Salamandra and Mertensiella, pp. 335-345. Greven, H., Thiesmeier, B., Eds., Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Herpetologie and Terrarienkunde, Bonn.
Thiesmeier, B., Dalbeck, L. (2011): Feuersalamander -Salamandra salamandra. In: Handbuch der Amphibien und Reptilien Nordrhein-Westfalens, Band 1., pp. 297-336. Hachtel, A., Schlupmann, M., Weddeling, K., Thiesmeirer, B., Geiger, A., Willigalla, C., Eds., Laurenti Verlag, Bielefeld.
Wells, K.D. (2007): The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Werner, P., Lotters, S., Schmidt, B.R. (2013): Analysis of habitat determinants in contact zones of parapatric European salamanders. J. Zool. 292: 31-38.
Whiteman, H.H. (1994): Evolution of facultative paedomorphosis in salamanders. Q. Rev. Biol. 69: 205-221.
Wiestermann, A. (2004): Feuersalamander - Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Die Lurche und Kriechtiere Sachsen-Anhalts. Verbreitung, Okologie, Gefahrdung und Scutz, pp. 50-56. Meyer, F., Buschendorf, J., Zuppke, U., Braumann, F., Schadler, M., Grosse, W.-R., Eds., Laurenti Verlag, Bielefeld.
Wissinger, S.A., Whiteman, H.H., Denoel, M., Mumford, M.L., Aubee, C.B. (2010): Consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of cannibalism in fluctuating agedstructured populations. Ecology 91: 549-559.
