Plethodon cinereus

Temporal alterations in peripheral chemoreceptors are rare in vertebrates, but this group provides an example of transient enhancement of signal capture efficiency. The Red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) shows dimorphic and seasonal VNO volume fluctuations. Males always possess a significantly larger vomeronasal area, and both... 

There are sex differences in woodland salamanders Plethodon) and brook salamanders (genus Burycea) of the lungless salamander family Plethodontidae, females have smaller VNOs than males (Dawley, 1992). There are also species differences the VNO in Burycea wilderea is larger than that in Plethodon cinereus, and the size of the hypertrophied nasal grooves, called cirri, correlate with size of VNO (Dawley, 1992). 

Male red-backed salamanders Plethodon cinereus) in Petri dishes were given a choice between own feces and those of another male. They preferred their own. The same was true for washes from the cloacal glands (Simon and Madison, 1984). While this may represent discrimination of own and other, rather than true individual recognition, another experiment showed... 

A non-toxic species of salamander may derive protection from predators by visually resembling a toxic form so closely that predators cannot distinguish between them Batesian mimicry). Free-ranging birds avoid both the toxic red eft Notophthalmus viridescens) and the similar-looking non-toxic red morph of the red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus). The red-striped morph of P. cinereus, which does not resemble the red eft, is eaten (Brodie and Brodie, 1980). 

Tristram, D. A. (1977). Intraspecific olfactory communication in the terrestrial salamander Plethodon cinereus). Copeia 597-600. 

Field-collected red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) were exposed to 2,4-DNT in soil for 28 d [66]. A sandy loam soil was characterized and spiked with 2,4-DNT at concentrations of 0, 75, 200, 800, and 1500 mg kg 1 dry weight (dw) soil. Food consisted of adult mutant fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster flightless) that were not exposed to DNT. All animals exposed to analytical concentrations greater than 1000 mg DNT kg-1 and not soil died within the first week of exposure. 

Johnson MS et al., Toxicological responses of red-backed salamanders Plethodon cinereus) to subchronic soil exposures of 2,4-dinitrotoluene. Environ. Pollut. 147, 604, 2007. 

Johnson MS et al., Toxicologic and histologic response of the terrestrial salamander Plethodon cinereus to soil exposures of l,3,5-trinitrohexahydro-l,3,5-triazine, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 47, 496, 2004. 

Peptides from the skin of the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) killed 90% of a culture of staphyolococci within 2 h. Peptides may be leads to design and synthesize compounds that act as novel antibiotics. 

Gergits W. F., and Jaeger, R. G., 1990, Field observations of the behavior of the red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus) Courtship and agonistic interactions, J. Herpetol. 24 93-95. 

Dawley, E. M., and Crowder J., 1995, Sexual and seasonal differences in the vomeronasal epithelium of the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), J. Comp. Neurol. 359 382-390. 

Grover, M. C., 1998, Influence of cover and moisture on abundances of the terrestrial salamanders Plethodon cinereus and Plethodon gbuinosus, J. Herpelol. 32 489-497. 

Moreno, G., 1989, Behavioral and physiological differentiation between the color morphs of the salamander, Plethodon cinereus, J. Herpetol. 23 335-341. 

Sullivan, A. M., Maerz, J. C., and Madison D. M., 2002, Anti-predator response of red-backed sakunanders (Plethodon cinereus) to chemical cues fiom garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) laboratory and field experiments. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 51 227-233. 

Red-backed salamanders Plethodon cinereus) respond to distilled water rinses of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) that have recently attacked other red-backed salamanders (Madison et al., 2002). These anti-predator behaviors consist of avoidance (Madison et al., 1999a Mcdarby et al., 1999) and altered activity (Madison et al., 1999a), and have been documented in the laboratory and in the field (Sullivan et al., 2002). The responses persist for up to 36 hours in laboratory trials, but no longer than 3 hours in the field (Sullivan et al., 2002). Whether the attenuated response in the field is due to a diminishing of the cue or to field-based shifts in salamander behavior remains unclear. 

Medarby, J. H., Madison, D. M and Maerz, J. C., 1999, Chemosensory avoidance of predators by red-backed salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, in Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, R. E. Johnston, D. Muller-Schwarze, and P. W. Sorensen, eds.. Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 489-495. 

In seven years of studies, we have documented a highly predictable avoidance response in the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, to body rinses from garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis, that have been feeding on P. cinereus (standard TSpc stimulus Madison et al., 1999a,b McDarby et al., 1999 Maerz et al., 2001 Madison et al., 2002 Sullivan et al., 2002, 2003). While we always get avoidance of TSpc, no such avoidance occurs in response to body rinses fi om garter snakes feeding on earthworms,... 

Plethodon cinereus (salamander) Blarina brevicauda Peromyscus leucopus... 

Ducey, P.K., Schramm, K. Cambry, N. 1994. Interspecific aggression between the sympatric salamanders, Am-bystoma maculatum and Plethodon cinereus. Am. Midi. Nat., 131, 320-329. 

McDarby, J.H. 1997. Chemosensory avoidance of predators by the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. M. A. Thesis, State University of New York, Binghamton, N. Y. 

We captured adult red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) and eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from woodlands around Binghamton University, Broome Co., New York. The salamanders were captured between 28 May and 3 June, 1997, and the snakes were captured during April, 1995. The salamanders were housed in one room in individual 15 cm diameter petri dishes with moistened paper towels. They were fed two small mealworms per week and kept moist prior to experimentation. The snakes were housed individually in a separate room in 20 liter glass aquaria. They were maintained on various diets, but at least two weeks before the collection of substrate odors, one was fed 4 P cinereus adults per week and another was fed 8 young goldfish per week, with the total food volume being similar. Both rooms were maintained at 20 C on a natural photoperiod. 

Heatwole, H. 1962. Environmental factors influencing local distribution and activity of the salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Ecology, 43, 460-472... 

Sugalski, M. T. Claussen, D. L. 1997. Preference for soil moisture, soil pH, and light intensity by the salamander, Plethodon cinereus. J. HerpetoL, 31, 245—250. 

Kleeberger, S.R. Werner, I.K. 1982. Home range and homing behavior of Plethodon Cinereus in Northen Michigan. Copeia 1982, 409-415. 

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