COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR IN THE PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER GYRINOPHILUS-PORPHYRITICUS

Courtship behavior in the spring salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus is described for the first time. This species is a member of the fami ly Plethodontidae, and is generally acknowledged as exhibiting the lar gest number of primitive characters in the family. Like all plethodont ids, it exhibits a tail-straddle walk that usually leads to spermatoph ore deposition. The early stages of courtship are characterized by ext ensive head-sliding (rubbing the snout over the nares, head, and body of the female) by the male. Later, during the tail-straddle walk, the female often rubs her snout laterally over the base of the male's tail . During the period immediately preceeding spermatophore deposition, t he male undulates his tail beneath the female's chin. That males lack a mental gland (that secretes courtship pheromones) and yet perform ex tensive head-sliding suggests that this behavior serves a tactile func tion in G. porphyriticus, rather than to administer courtship pheromon es. Given the large number of primitive characters exhibited by G. por phyriticus, head-sliding is viewed as a precursor to the behaviors use d in pheromone-delivery seen in other plethodontids. The mental gland of other species may be secondarily derived and may have evolved subse quent to tactile stimulation.