INTRASPECIFIC AND SEX-SPECIFIC OOPHAGY IN A SALAMANDER AND A FROG: REPRODUCTIVE CONVERGENCE OF TARICHA TOROSA AND BOMBINA ORIENTALIS

Abstract

Two field studies were conducted to evaluate the extent and sex specificity of adult oophagy in two pond breeding amphibians. In the salamander Taricha torosa, 71 incidences of oophagy were observed in 8.9 h. Females accounted for 82% of these observations. In Bombina orientalis, only males were oophagic. Nine experiments with B. orientalis showed that adult males consumed 11.7 eggs/day (SD = 3.62). The jelly coat of T. torosa offered embryos protection several hours after oviposition while such was not the case in B. orientalis. The mode of reproduction as well as other related characteristics are convergent in these species. There is an extended breeding season, but with an explosive breeding type of mating behavior. Both species have a noxious dorsal skin secretion, a brightly colored ventral surface, an Unken reflex, and are active 24 h/day. While adult oophagy was common in both species, the sex-specificity was reversed.