Meeting Abstract

P1.165  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Repeated handling reduces activity but not mating in a Plethodontid salamander BLILEY, Jaci M.; WOODLEY, Sarah K.*; Duquesne University; Duquesne University woodleys@duq.edu

Vertebrates respond to real or perceived threats by mounting stress responses that allow an animal to avoid, counter, or cope with the stressor. Amphibians across the world are currently grappling with an array of environmental stressors, yet relatively little is known about amphibians stress responses. We examined responses to a repeated handling stressor in the Ocoee salamander (Desmognathus ocoee). We hypothesized that repeated exposure to a handling stressor as well as repeated elevation of plasma corticosterone (CORT)via a dermal CORT patch would reduce locomotory activity (a predator avoidance response), mating behavior, body weight, and blood lymphocyte levels. Both repeated handling and repeated treatment with CORT patches reduced body weight. Repeated handling, but not repeated treatment with CORT patches, reduced locomotory activity. Mating behavior and white blood cell were unaffected by the treatments. To conclude, activity, but not mating, was responsive to repeated handling, and we failed to find a behavioral response to repeated elevation of plasma CORT. We suggest that some of these results are due to the low-energy lifestyle of plethodontid salamanders, in which mating is energetically cheap.