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Social monogamy in a territorial salamander
Animal Behaviour
|July 6, 2000
Summary
Red-backed salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, exhibit social monogamy during the courtship season, forming pair bonds. This behavior, rare in amphibians, shows flexibility based on potential extrapair mating opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Amphibian Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Social monogamy, characterized by pair associations, is common in many species but rare in amphibians.
- Red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) exhibit complex social systems, prompting investigation into their pair-bonding behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that red-backed salamanders in natural pairs display behaviors consistent with social monogamy.
- To investigate seasonal variations in social monogamy and mate preference in Plethodon cinereus.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory experiments with newly collected male-female pairs of red-backed salamanders.
- Observation of association preferences and directed behaviors (aggression, submission) towards partners versus novel or surrogate conspecifics.
- Testing occurred during both the summer non-courtship and autumn courtship seasons.
Main Results:
- During the summer, pairs showed no preference for associating with partners over novel conspecifics.
- In the autumn courtship season, paired salamanders preferentially associated with their partners over surrogates or novel paired individuals.
- No preference was shown between partners and novel single individuals, suggesting strategic mate choice.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence of social monogamy in a salamander species (Plethodon cinereus).
- Social monogamy in this species is context-dependent, influenced by the potential for extrapair associations.
- Findings suggest that amphibians can exhibit complex social behaviors previously thought to be rare in the group.
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