Research Publications
Anti-predator Behavior in Salamanders
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Bachelor’s thesis on the behavior of the Northern Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon dorsalis) residing on the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau. My thesis specifically explored the role of species ecology on antipredator behavior in order to provide insight on how animals cope with predators.
Hypothesis: Salamanders will compensate for the risks associated with tail autotomy (the intentional shedding of the tail) and predation through behavioral modifications.
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1. Collected 86 salamanders from riparian forests in Sewanee, TN by flipping rocks, logs, and checking sandstone crevices.
2. Processed body measurements and randomly assigned individuals to either a predation (tail autotomy) or control group.
3. Conducted behavioral assays to assess exploratory movements, cover use, and feeding habits, comparing behaviors between treatments.
4. Analyzed data in R using repeated-measures MANOVAs and ANOVAs to assess the impact of treatment, body size, and behaviors on antipredator responses.
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There was a notable difference in individual antipredator and compensatory responses between the two treatments, indicating that salamanders alter their behaviors relative to previous predatory experiences.
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Contributed to the limited literature on post-survival animal behavior and highlighted areas for further research.
Behavioral Plasticity in Degraded Habitats
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This research, conducted over the summer with my advisor, explores how anthropogenic habitat disturbance influences larval Black-bellied Salamander behavior. My research provides insight into why–behaviorally–some individuals persist in degraded habitats (e.g. riparian canopy gaps) while others avoid them.
Hypothesis: Three hypotheses tested behavioral differences between individuals in forested and deforested stream reaches. Salamanders in canopy gaps would:
• Be bolder and more reactive to environmental cues.
• Exhibit greater behavioral plasticity.
• Have smaller body sizes than those in forested reaches.
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1. Collected salamander larvae from four fishless Appalachian streams (forested and deforested reaches) in NC and GA, along with larvae of a predatory salamander species to test antipredator behaviors.
2. Transported the salamanders to Sewanee, TN, measured body size, and conducted preliminary behavior trials on 70 salamanders (35 from canopy gaps, 35 from forested reaches) to assess exploratory movement and establish a baseline.
3. Ran randomized behavioral assays to test responses to a light gradient, refuge, and predator, then exposed 140 salamanders to an experimental light regime for two weeks, followed by the same assays.
4. Analyzed data in R using least squares linear regression, linear mixed models, Pearson correlations, and Bartlett’s test to assess habitat selection, habituation, and individual behavioral variability.
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We found no significant differences in exploratory or cover-use behavior, but salamanders from canopy gaps positioned themselves closer to a light source. Habituation/light regime trials revealed that salamanders from deforested areas exhibited more behavioral plasticity, responding more to environmental cues matching their light regime. Additionally, salamanders from canopy gaps had reduced body condition compared to those from forested reaches, suggesting potential environmental stressors in degraded habitats.
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This research highlights how behavioral plasticity enables individuals to inhabit degraded habitats despite physiological costs. While animals can adapt behaviorally, it underscores the need for compensation measures to reduce habitat disturbances that harm their body condition.
Diet of the Eastern European Newt
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As an assignment for a Freshwater Biology course, a classmate and I studied the diet of the Eastern European Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens).
Hypothesis: Newt diets would differ across ponds and individuals would exhibit prey preferences.
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1. Collected 67 newts and surveyed prey presence in 3 ponds with varying human disturbance in Sewanee, TN.
2. Performed non-lethal lavage on newts to extract and quantify stomach contents.
3. Conducted standardized pond surveys to collect and identify prey organisms, then quantified their abundance.
4. Applied chi-square tests to compare newt diets across ponds and assess deviations from prey availability.
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Newts consumed prey items in proportion to their availability despite pond heterogeneity in prey availability.
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This study enhances our understanding of newt foraging behavior, highlighting how environmental factors like human disturbance influence diet and laying the foundation for future research on amphibian adaptations and conservation in altered habitats.