Meeting Abstract
The ringed salamander, Ambystoma annulatum, is a cryptic ambystomatid species from the Ozark Highlands and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma in the United States. Breeding aggregations have been scientifically documented in Arkansas and Missouri, but not in Oklahoma. Individuals emerge en masse from underground burrows to breed in upland, ephemeral, fishless ponds during heavy, extended fall rains. From September to December, 2018, we performed nocturnal field surveys searching for A. annulatum at several sites along the Ozark Plateau in Oklahoma. We observed migration of hundreds of adult salamanders to ponds, documented courtship with waterproof digital cameras, marked individuals with elastomer tags, and photographed them to begin mark recapture studies. We found a heavily male biased sex ratio: 460 of the 683 individuals captured were males. We implemented photographic techniques to determine the efficacy of individual identification using pattern variation of the dorsal bands and other distinctive markings. We hope to use these photographic techniques as a less invasive way to identify individuals in the future, as current techniques involve invasive dye injection. This ongoing study has already provided new scientific information and we hope to continue to obtain more data on this understudied species of salamander to aid in its conservation in Oklahoma.
