The effects of several environmental variables on reproduction and growth of the San Marcos salamander in laboratory culture
Date
1999-05
Authors
Wise, Martn R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Three 84-d experiments were conducted at the San
Marcos National Fish Hatchery and Technology ~enter on the
San Marcos salamanders Eurycea nana in an attempt to
isolate factors that may be necessary for reproduction.
Because these salamanders often are found in association
with spring openings with upwelling water, vegetation, and
because they appear to have an unequal sex ratio in the
wild, the factors tested were access to a tube with
upwelling water, the presence of vegetation,, and different
sex ratios. In the upwelling experiment, there was no
significant increase in _growth measured by length or weight
either over time or between treatments. Also, there was no
deposition of eggs in the upwelling experiment. In the
vegetation experiment, the male salamanders in aquaria with
vegetation demonstrated greater mean weight after the first
month (P=0.00583), the second month (P=0.00950) and the
third month (P=0.01621) and greater mean length after the
second month (P=0.01738) and the third month (P=0.01545)
than those without vegetation. One deposition of eggs
occurred in an aquarium with vegetation. In the sex ratio
experiment, the male salamanders in the majority male
aquaria had significantly(P=0.00058) higher growth in mean weight over time.
Description
Keywords
Brook salamanders--Reproduction, Brook salamanders--Growth, Salamanders--Texas--San Marcos, Water chemistry, Vegetation, Sex ratio
Citation
Wise, M. R. (1999). <i>The effects of several environmental variables on reproduction and growth of the San Marcos salamander in laboratory culture</i> (Unpublished thesis). Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.