Plethodon cinereus response

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. 

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. 

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,... 

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