A Near-natural Experiment on Factors Influencing Larval Drift in Salamandra Salamandra

The larval stage of the European fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) inhabits both lentic and lotic habitats. In the latter, they are constantly exposed to unidirectional water flow, which has been shown to cause downstream drift in a variety of taxa. In this study, an artificial stream was used to examine the individual movement patterns of marked larval fire salamanders exposed to unidirectional flow with simulated flood events. Movements were tracked by marking the larvae with VIAlpha tags individually and by using downstream and upstream traps. Most individuals showed stationarity, while downstream drift dominated the overall movement pattern. Upstream movements were rare and occurred only on small distances of about 30 cm; downstream drift distances exceeded 10 m (until next downstream trap). The simulated flood events increased drift rates significantly, even days after the flood simulation experiments. Drift probability increased with decreasing body size and decreasing nutritional status.

Paul Kammerer and epigenetics – a reappraisal of his experiments

During recent years, the scientific interest in the work of Austrian biologist Paul Kammerer (1880‒1926) has risen again. This development can largely be attributed to advances in the fields of epigenetics and epigenetic inheritance, and it resulted in provocative discussions. This article contributes to enhancing the knowledge about Kammerer’s publications in two respects. First, I provide a brief overview and contextualization of Kammerer’s main works on phenotypic plasticity and its inheritance, some of which seem little known at present. Thereafter, to ensure an accurate transmission of the historical record, I comment on recently published suggestive information about what Kammerer did and wrote, chiefly referring to Kammerer’s original writings on fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) and cave salamanders (Proteus anguinus). Although the exact contents of Kammerer’s writings remain controversial and must be regarded with caution, his writings need to be treated objectively and accurately to avoid historical record distortion and to render the performance of adequate replications of his experiments possible.

Demography and spatial activity of fire salamanders, Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758), in two contrasting habitats in the Vienna Woods

Understanding population dynamics is vital in amphibian conservation. To compare demography and movements, we conducted a capture-recapture study over three spring seasons in two populations of Salamandra salamandra in the Vienna Woods. The study sites differ in topography, vegetation, and the type of breeding waters. Population density in a beech forest traversed by a stream was more than twice as high as in an oak-hornbeam forest with temporary pools. Movement distances were on average higher at the latter site whereas home range estimates were similar for both sites. The sexes did not differ significantly in the observed movement patterns at either site. Annual apparent survival was mostly high (~0.85), but the estimate for females from the low-density site was lower (~0.60), indicating a higher rate of emigration or mortality.

A case of color aberration in a fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) larva

Color aberrations in salamanders are caused by defective chromatophores or by disrupted synthesis of the pigments, and have been previously reported in Europe. In this paper we report the first case of leucism in a fire salamander larva from a cave-dwelling population in Romania. The leucistic larva was larger and heavier compared to the other larvae from the same breeding habitat.

Abnormalities in European Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra, Salamandridae, Amphibia) observed in Their Wintering Roosts

Extreme sensitivity and relatively rapid reaction to environmental changes makes amphibians suitable bioindicators of environmental health. Chemical contaminants, developmental disruptors, ultraviolet radiation, parasitic and viral infections, intrinsic developmental constraints are common factors causing malformations of individuals. In the period October 2017 – February 2018 we investigated fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) wintering in underground roosts in Slovakia, Europe. Individuals were measured (SVL, snout-vent length; TBL, total body length), weighed and underwent ophthalmic examination, including tonometry. From 80 individuals, three salamanders with malformations were observed. The deformities recorded were a skin deformity in the lumbar region of one individual, unilateral microphthalmia and syndactyly of the right forelimb. Two of these deformities were detected during one inspection of the artificial gallery. In this paper we also mention incidence of deformities during our several years of research on fire salamanders in Slovakia.