Movement can act as an effective strategy used by amphibians to avoid detrimental environmental conditions, particularly drought. However, due to the unpredictable nature of droughts, evaluating the patterns and consequences of movement has rarely been investigated. In 2007–2008, the southeastern United States experienced a supraseasonal drought that resulted in 110 yr low flow levels among the first-order streams. In this study, 61 months of mark–recapture data collected from one first-order stream were used to examine the effects of drought on the movement frequency distribution, survival, and growth rates of adult Desmognathus fuscus (Northern Dusky Salamander). We hypothesized that salamanders would demonstrate a higher propensity to move during supraseasonal drought conditions and that moving salamanders would experience higher survival and growth rates. We found that salamanders were more likely to move immediately after the drought compared to the pre-drought and drought conditions. Although movement frequency was low during the drought, survival was higher for individuals who moved during drought conditions in comparison to individuals who remained in their original capture location. Although our model did not detect a trend, salamanders experienced slightly higher growth in the post-drought conditions compared to drought and pre-drought conditions. In addition, during the post-drought, salamanders that moved had slightly higher growth rates compared to salamanders who remained in their original capture location. Our results suggest that adult salamanders were potentially displaying an adaptive movement strategy to resist drought conditions by moving away from affected (i.e., dry) areas within the study stream. In addition, movement was likely utilized to access replenished resources in other areas after the severe effects of the drought ended. Therefore, both in-stream and riparian barriers that impede movement may inhibit resilience of stream amphibians during severe droughts.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
March 2023
ARTICLES|
February 27 2023
Salamander Movement Propensity Resists Effects of Supraseasonal Drought
Ichthyology & Herpetology (2023) 111 (1): 109–118.
Article history
Received:
May 19 2022
Accepted:
December 08 2022
Citation
Kathryn M. Greene, Jeremy Van Cleve, Steven J. Price; Salamander Movement Propensity Resists Effects of Supraseasonal Drought. Ichthyology & Herpetology 1 March 2023; 111 (1): 109–118. doi: https://doi.org/10.1643/h2022051
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your Institution
9
Views
Citing articles via
Catfishes of the Genus Glyptothorax (Siluriformes: Sisoridae) in the Mae Klong River Basin, Thailand, with Taxonomic Implications for Several Southeast Asian Species
David A. Boyd<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Sampan Tongnunui<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Lawrence M. Page
Development and Occurrence of Early Stages of Dules auriga in the Northern Patagonian Gulfs of Argentina
Luján Villanueva-Gomila<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>María E. Diez<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Leonardo A. Venerus<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>María B. Caro-Torti<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Cintia D. Medina<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Martín D. Ehrlich
A New Species of the Dragonfish Genus Melanostomias (Stomiidae: Melanostomiinae) from the Western Tropical Atlantic
Bárbara Teixeira Villarins<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Luciano Gomes Fischer<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Artem Mikhailovich Prokofiev<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Michael Maia Mincarone
Does Variation in Call Rate Affect the Response of Territorial Males in the Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio)?
Francesca Protti-Sánchez<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Adrián García-Rodríguez<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Gilbert Barrantes<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Luis Sandoval
A New Caecilia (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Colombian Amazon
Juan David Fernández-Roldán<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>Guido Fabian Medina-Rangel<span class='al-author-delim'>, </span>John D. Lynch