Temperature Selection in the Arizona Tiger Salamander (<i> Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum </i>)

Abstract

High-elevation ecosystems are experiencing rapid warming and severe impact of global climate change. The Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) occurs in high elevation ponds in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado and offers a compelling system to test context-dependent responses to climate change. Larval salamanders either metamorphose into terrestrial metamorphs or become gilled, aquatic paedomorphs, thus, the morphs may be differentially affected by climate change. To determine how the different thermal environments experienced by the morphs affects their physiology, we will compare the preferred temperature of metamorphic adult salamanders from high-elevation ponds. A comparison of paedomorphs and metamorphs was initially desired but due to not being able to find any this summer only metamoprhs were used. The first objective is to construct and test a water-filled thermal gradient runway. The thermal gradient design will be improved until we can establish a reliable range and distribution of temperatures, we will place a single salamander in the gradient for 3.5 hours and will record horizontal position in the gradient and water temperature next to the animal’s middlebody every 5 minutes. We will also compare the horizontal position of salamanders in the chamber without the temperature gradient as a control to test for evidence of active thermoregulation by the animals in temperature gradient trials. We will calculate the mean, and upper and lower 10% of temperatures and horizontal positions for each individual and utilize an ANOVA test in order to see what effect sex, collection site and mass have on minimum, maximum and average temperature selection.

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