Reproductive Biology in Salamanders

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Reproductive Biology in Salamanders

• Male and female courtship glands
• E.g., mental glands, caudal courtship glands
• Courtship behavior
• Spermatophores
• Spermatheca
• Sperm storage
• Nesting ecology and parental care

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(from Sever, 2003)
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Head glands of male salamanders (upper figure
from Duellman and Trueb, 1986)
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Nasolabial grooves and cirri (at left-from
Duellman and Trueb, 1986 below-Trauth et al.,
2004)
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Male Eurycea longicauda melanopleura exhibiting
caudal courtship glands on rump
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Skin glands in plethodontid salamanders
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Courtship in Notophthalmus viridescens (from
Houck and Arnold, 2003)
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Courtship in Ambystoma (from Duellman and Trueb,
1986)
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Courtship in Plethodon (from Duellman and Trueb,
1986)
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Courtship in Plethodon shermani (from Houck and
Arnold, 2003)
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Courtship in Plethodon shermani (from Houck and
Arnold, 2003)
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Spermatophores of Salamanders
Ambystoma maculatum (from Trauth et al., 2004)
(from Duellman and Trueb, 1986)
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Spermathecae in salamanders (Left-from Sever,
2003 below from Trauth, 1983)
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Spermatheca of paedomorphic Ambystoma
talpoideum (from Trauth et al., 1995)
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Spermatozoa in spermatheca - Plethodon glutinosus
(from Trauth, 1984)
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Egg clutches in the Ozark hellbender, spotted
salamander, and the Ouachita dusky salamander