ALARM RESPONSE BY A PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER (DESMOGNATHUS-OCHROPHAEUS) - CONSPECIFIC AND HETEROSPECIFIC SCHRECKSTOFF

The detection of chemical alarm cues plays an important role for preda tor avoidance in many taxonomic groups, but little is known about the presence of such chemical cues in adult or caudate amphibians. We inve stigated the response (i.e., aversion or nonaversion) to chemical cues from damaged salamander skin and mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) in the plethodontid salamander, Desmognathus ochrophaeus. Avoidance responses were demonstrated to skin extracts of both conspecific and heterospec ific salamanders. However, salamanders (D. ochrophaeus) did not avoid heated conspecific skin, fresh conspecific viscera, fresh mealworm, or fresh Plethodon richmondi skin extracts. These results indicate that chemical alarm cues are: (1) present in the skin of Desmognathus salam anders, (2) not present in mealworm or the viscera of Desmognathus sal amanders, and (3) denatured or deactivated by heating. These results a lso suggest that an avoidance response to chemical cues from damaged c onspecifics has adaptive value in predator avoidance in terrestrial as well as aquatic vertebrates.