AGGRESSIVE INTERACTIONS AND CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ADULT AND JUVENILE SALAMANDERS

Aggressive behavior and recognition of chemical cues play important roles in territoriality and spatial distributions of adult plethodontid salamanders. The role of these behaviors in adult-juvenile interactions is unknown. We assessed adult-juvenile interactions in the Rich Mountain salamander, Plethodon ouachitae. In experiment 1, we examined behavioral responses of adult male salamanders (residents) toward juvenile intruders and compared these responses with the responses of the same residents toward adult male intruders. In experiment 2, we examined the role of chemical communication in these interactions. juvenile salamanders were given a choice between control substrates and substrates bearing odors of adult males. Resident adults of P. ouachitae exhibited aggressive behavior (biting and chasing) in adult-adult and adult-juvenile trials. When paired with juveniles, adult salamanders were significantly less aggressive but exhibited significantly more investigatory (nose-tapping) behavior than when paired with other adults. The rate of biting observed in adult-adult trials was extremely high, while the rate of biting in adult-juvenile trials was similar to rates reported for adult-adult pairings in other species of Plethodon. juvenile salamanders did not avoid odors of adults, despite the aggressive nature of adult P. ouachitae.