Eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) avoid chemical cues from snake predators regardless of colour morph or snake individual and size

Abstract

Plethodontid salamanders often possess the ability to detect and avoid hazards in the environment which may be important for survival. We examined whether the two main colour morphs of Plethodon cinereus differ in their avoidance of cues from a potential predator (Thamnophis sirtalis) and whether P. cinereus avoided cues from T. sirtalis of different sizes (i.e., small vs. large). Plethodon cinereus avoided chemical cues deposited by T. sirtalis on a substrate; but avoidance did not differ between colour morphs of P. cinereus, snake sizes, or individual donor snakes.