Meeting Abstract

P2.6  Saturday, Jan. 5  Posthatching Brooding Behavior in Green Salamanders, Aneides aeneus CUPP, JR, P/V; Eastern Kentucky University paul.cupp@eku.edu

In SE Kentucky, female Aneides aeneus rear their young in crevices of sandstone rock cliffs. Following an egg brooding period of about 73 days, females remain with the hatchlings for 3-5 weeks. Eggs deposited in July hatch in late September. At first, new hatchlings are aggregated on the remaining egg suspension material. Females remain near and in front of hatchlings. After the first week or two, the hatchlings continue to remain close but show some movement. One or two of them may move into small recesses within the crevice. Into week three, hatchlings may begin to move about the crevice and to other adjacent crevices. During 3-5 weeks after hatching, the young may venture out to other areas. The number of young often dwindles somewhat. In some instances, females left the young and did not return. While only females have been reported to brood hatchlings, in this study, a male was observed in front of a group of hatchlings for three successive weeks. In another instance, one hatchling was found on the tail of a male in a crevice adjacent to a brooding crevice containing a female. Posthatching brooding behavior may play an important role in the survival of hatchling green salamanders.