BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
27 July 2021 Selective Predation by Pond-Breeding Salamanders in Ephemeral Wetlands of Ohio and Illinois
Brock P. Struecker, Joseph R. Milanovich, Mollie McIntosh, Martin B. Berg, Matthew E. Hopton
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Larval amphibians are important components of ephemeral wetland ecosystems, where they are abundant and perform important ecological functions. Larval pond-breeding salamanders (genus Ambystoma) are the primary vertebrate predators in fishless, ephemeral wetland systems, where they consume large amounts of aquatic invertebrate prey. However, the mechanisms in which larval salamanders affect aquatic communities are poorly understood. We compared stomach contents of larval pond-breeding salamanders from two regions in the midwestern United States to assess their diets for evidence of prey selection. We found larval salamanders exhibited selective predation for certain taxa and functional feeding groups. Our results provide a possible mechanism in which larval pond-breeding salamanders affect aquatic invertebrate communities and shape ephemeral wetland ecosystem processes.

Copyright 2021 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Brock P. Struecker, Joseph R. Milanovich, Mollie McIntosh, Martin B. Berg, and Matthew E. Hopton "Selective Predation by Pond-Breeding Salamanders in Ephemeral Wetlands of Ohio and Illinois," Journal of Herpetology 55(3), 222-228, (27 July 2021). https://doi.org/10.1670/19-126
Accepted: 8 March 2021; Published: 27 July 2021
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top