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Effects of tail‐clipping on survivorship and growth of larval salamanders
Author(s) -
Polich Rebecca L.,
Searcy Christopher A.,
Shaffer H. Bradley
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.1002/jwmg.596
Subject(s) - biology , endangered species , larva , clipping (morphology) , tiger salamander , wildlife , amphibian , mesocosm , salamander , survivorship curve , zoology , ecology , fishery , habitat , philosophy , linguistics , ecosystem , genetics , cancer
Tissue samples used for genetic analyses are increasingly necessary for proper management of rare or endangered species, yet growing evidence suggests that traditional methods used to sample or mark amphibians have detrimental fitness effects. We used a semi‐natural mesocosm experiment to determine the effect of larval tail‐clipping on growth and survival of the endangered California tiger salamander. Even with relatively extreme levels of tail loss, we found no effect on survival, mass, or snout‐vent length. We recommend larval tail‐clipping as a low‐impact method for collecting tissue samples from pond‐breeding amphibians. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.