MIGRATORY ORIENTATION OF AMBYSTOMA MACULATUM: MOVEMENTS NEAR BREEDING PONDS AND DISPLACEMENTS OF MIGRATING INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

1. Migrating spotted salamanders entered and departed from breeding ponds at or near the same point. This pattern was repeated for three consecutive years. 2. Animals migrating in a meadow to and from the breeding pond often traveled in a corridor 10 to 30 m. wide. Several variations from this plan were noted. 3. Spotted salamanders displaced up to 500 m. may return to the home breeding pond. 4. Migrating adults transferred from the border of one breeding pond to within 10 m. of another breeding pond did not move to the new pond as did controls. 5. Migrating adults transported from the border of one pond to the center of another failed to orient to the old pond or in the direction they were moving when captured. 6. Some adults adopted a new breeding pond when displaced. 7. Animals moved to a laboratory and then released outdoors in an unfamiliar area failed to orient to their pond or in the direction they were moving when originally collected. Handling and laboratory conditions may have altered normal behavior. 8. Since lifelong records of salamander movements are lacking, certainty of navigation ability may be questioned. 9. Sensory bases for orientation remain poorly known.