EVIDENCE OF COMMUNAL OVIPOSITION AND NEST ABANDONMENT IN THE NORTHERN TWO-LINED SALAMANDER (EURYCEA BISLINEATA, (GREEN, 1818)) IN NORTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT

Most plethodontid salamanders oviposit their eggs in an individual nest and attend the clutch until hatching. Here, we describe aspects of the reproduction of Eurycea bislineata (Northern Two-lined Salamander) from three field sites in northeastern Connecticut that contrast with the typical plethodontid reproductive behavior. Rocks used as oviposition sites contained up to 296 eggs, with an average of more than 100. These numbers exceed the maximum ovarian egg counts for this species, indicating that communal oviposition is common. The lack of correlation between rock size and number of eggs, as well as the lack of discrete clutches when eggs are laid in large clusters, suggests that communal oviposition may be caused by something other than nest site limitation. Additionally, the rate of maternal attendance at nests was low. Thus, communal oviposition with high rates of nest abandonment is the dominant reproductive strategy in E. bislineata at these sites.

Plant Climbing in the Northern Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea bislineata, in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) are often active on the surface on rainy evenings, and some species may even climb vegetation in search of prey. Here I report the first investigation of plant climbing in the Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata). Surveys were carried out along Bat Lake Creek in Algonquin Provincial Park over four rainy nights in summer 2007 for Northern Two-lined Salamanders. I compared the numbers of Northern Two-lined Salamanders foraging on the ground with those climbing on plants, and over half of the Northern Two-lined Salamanders were climbing plants. This behaviour may provide the Northern Two-lined Salamander with access to an underutilized food source, and plants may represent an additional foraging habitat for this species.

Communal Oviposition in the Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

While surveying a stream for amphibians in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, I discovered a clutch of Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata) eggs on the underside of a partially submerged rock. I counted 165 eggs and measured them using ImageJ from a digital photograph. The quantity of eggs is far greater than any known clutch size for this species, and it was likely deposited by more than one female. This is the first report of communal oviposition in this species in Canada.

A Herpetological Survey of the James Bay Area of Québec and Ontario

In May-June 2002, as part of a survey of a variety of taxa in the James Bay region of Ontario and Québec, we surveyed the poorly documented herpetofauna of this region. In Ontario we visited sites near Moosonee that FWS had previously surveyed in 1971-1972, and continued ongoing herpetological monitoring around Cochrane. In Québec we surveyed the inland James Bay Road, and roads to four settlements along the coast. American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus), Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), and Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) were widespread and abundant throughout. Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) and Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) were widespread and common in Québec and at the study site near Cochrane. We obtained the first taped calls and voucher specimen of the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) from Québec, and failed to find it at the settlement and airport of Moosonee where it had been present in 1972. A significant range extension was for the Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata), which we found 200 km north of its previously known range in northwestern Québec. Despite extensive searches, the species was not found north of 52°05'N. The Mink Frog (Lithobates septentrionalis) was widespread and relatively common in Québec, but was sought but not found in Ontario. The Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) was only found at two Québec sites, including one where it was reported in 1974, but it has not been found at any of the Ontario sites where it was found in the 1970's. We present some suggestions for the further study of the herpetofauna of the area, and review evidence for contacts between eastern and western lineages of widespread species.En mai et juin 2002, dans le cadre d'un inventaire faunique dans la région de la baie James, en Ontario et au Québec, nous avons inventorié la faune herpétologique, laquelle est très peu documentée dans cette région. En Ontario nous avons visité des sites près de Moosonee, que l'un de nous (FWS) avait inventorié en 1971-1972, puis nous sommes allés aux environs de Cochrane. Au Québec l'inventaire s'est majoritairement fait le long de la route de la baie James et des routes d'accès aux villages. Le Crapaud d'Amérique (Anaxyrus americanus), la Rainette crucifère (Pseudacris crucifer) et la Grenouille des bois (Lithobates sylvaticus) sont répandus et communs sur toute l'aire d'étude. La Salamandre à points bleus (Ambystoma laterale) et la Couleuvre rayée (Thamnophis sirtalis) sont répandues et communes au Québec et près de Cochrane. Nous avons réalisé les premiers enregistrements de chants et collecté le premier spécimen de Rainette faux-grillon boréale (Pseudacris maculata) pour le Québec, et n'avons pu la retrouver à Moosonee et à son aéroport, où l'espèce avait été recensée en 1972. La seule extension d'aire significative a été faite pour la Salamandre à deux lignes (Eurycea bislineata), trouvée à 200 km au nord de son aire de répartition connue dans le nord-ouest du Québec. Malgré des recherches intensives, elle n'a pas été vue plus au nord que 52°05'N. La Grenouille du Nord (Lithobates septentrionalis), est répandue et relativement commune au Québec mais n'a pu être trouvée en Ontario. La Grenouille léopard (Lithobates pipiens) a seulement été recensée à deux endroits au Québec, incluant un site où l'espèce avait été trouvée en 1974, mais n'a pu être trouvée en Ontario dans les sites où on la retrouvait dans les années '70. Nous présentons quelques suggestions de futures études sur l'herpétofaune de cette région, et discutons des liens entre les formes de l'ouest et celles de l'est pour les espèces répandues.

Use of amphibians to define riparian zones of headwater streams

Riparian areas are known for their high species richness and their influence on ecological processes. However, riparian zones are difficult to define because of their ambiguous borders. Defining riparian zones by examining habitat use of species that require both terrestrial and aquatic environments is one method that has not been thoroughly examined. We sampled amphibians in Maine, USA, with pitfall traps located at five distances (1, 8, 18, 28, and 33 m) from 15 headwater streams. We captured 1897 amphibians of 10 species over 73 536 trap-nights. We used a repeated-measures analysis of variance to determine if species' capture rates varied among pitfall-trap locations. The highest numbers of three species, spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus), two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata), and dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus), were captured in trap locations closest to the streams. Total species richness and average species richness were highest in the trap location located closest to the stream. We conclude that the riparian zone along headwater streams, as defined by amphibian species richness and abundance, is relatively narrow (7–9 m).