Frequency and Ecology of Tail Loss in Populations of the Georgetown Salamander (Eurycea naufragia)

Pierce, Benjamin A.; Gonzalez, Daniel

doi:10.1670/17-178

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…We note that sensitivity is the probability of a true positive, and we consider the assay sensitive if the probability of a false negative is low (i.e., low probability of not detecting Septentriomolge DNA when Septentriomolge DNA is present). Septentriomolge -occupied sites had regular visual encounter surveys, and displayed a range of relative abundances, including sites that averaged few (e.g., 0–2) to many (e.g., > 60) salamander detections per survey [ 9 , 21 , 47 – 49 ]. The distribution of salamanders at each field control site (i.e., the typical extent of the salamander population downstream of the spring outlet) was previously determined by visual encounter surveys [ 9 , 21 , 47 – 49 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We additionally fit a classic occupancy model [ 59 , 60 ] in ‘unmarked’ [ 62 ] using visual encounter survey data to provide a comparison of site occupancy estimates between eDNA and standard visual encounter surveys. We included detection/nondetection data from visual encounter surveys conducted on the day of eDNA sample collection ( Table 2 ) and surveys from the three previous months which corresponds to the early portion of the Septentriomolge breeding season [ 8 , 9 , 21 ]. We assumed demographic closure over this timeframe, and consequently, each site had 2–4 temporal survey replicates.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Septentriomolge-occupied sites had regular visual encounter surveys, and displayed a range of relative abundances, including sites that averaged few (e.g., 0-2) to many (e.g., > 60) salamander detections per survey [9,21,[47][48][49]. The distribution of salamanders at each field control site (i.e., the typical extent of the salamander population downstream of the spring outlet) was previously determined by visual encounter surveys [9,21,[47][48][49].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) protects seven species [ 15 – 19 ], Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) protects four additional species [ 20 ], and more listing petitions are predicted [ 1 ]. Consequently, surveys are commonly conducted for these taxa to determine occupancy of a target locality [ 13 ], population size [ 8 , 21 ], or species distribution [ 22 ]. Surface habitat and accessible cave streams can be surveyed by searching under and in submerged cover objects and with various trapping techniques [ 2 , 23 – 25 ], but some of these locations require considerable effort to detect salamanders [ 13 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and validation of an environmental DNA assay to detect federally threatened groundwater salamanders in central Texas

Adcock

Forstner

2023

PLoS ONE

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The molecular detection of DNA fragments that are shed into the environment (eDNA) has become an increasingly applied tool used to inventory biological communities and to perform targeted species surveys. This method is particularly useful in habitats where it is difficult or not practical to visually detect or trap the target organisms. Central Texas Eurycea salamanders inhabit both surface and subterranean aquatic environments. Subterranean surveys are challenging or infeasible, and the detection of salamander eDNA in water samples is an appealing survey technique for these situations. Here, we develop and validate an eDNA assay using quantitative PCR for E. chisholmensis, E. naufragia, and E. tonkawae. These three species are federally threatened and constitute the Septentriomolge clade that occurs in the northern segment of the Edwards Aquifer. First, we validated the specificity of the assay in silico and with DNA extracted from tissue samples of both target Septentriomolge and non-target amphibians that overlap in distribution. Then, we evaluated the sensitivity of the assay in two controls, one with salamander-positive water and one at field sites known to be occupied by Septentriomolge. For the salamander-positive control, the estimated probability of eDNA occurrence (ψ) was 0.981 (SE = 0.019), and the estimated probability of detecting eDNA in a qPCR replicate (p) was 0.981 (SE = 0.011). For the field control, the estimated probability of eDNA occurring at a site (ψ) was 0.938 (95% CRI: 0.714–0.998). The estimated probability of collecting eDNA in a water sample (θ) was positively correlated with salamander relative density and ranged from 0.371 (95% CRI: 0.201–0.561) to 0.999 (95% CRI: 0.850– > 0.999) among sampled sites. Therefore, sites with low salamander density require more water samples for eDNA evaluation, and we determined that our site with the lowest estimated θ would require seven water samples for the cumulative collection probability to exceed 0.95. The estimated probability of detecting eDNA in a qPCR replicate (p) was 0.882 (95% CRI: 0.807–0.936), and our assay required two qPCR replicates for the cumulative detection probability to exceed 0.95. In complementary visual encounter surveys, the estimated probability of salamanders occurring at a known-occupied site was 0.905 (SE = 0.096), and the estimated probability of detecting salamanders in a visual encounter survey was 0.925 (SE = 0.052). We additionally discuss future research needed to refine this method and understand its limitations before practical application and incorporation into formal survey protocols for these taxa.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and validation of an environmental DNA assay to detect federally threatened groundwater salamanders in central Texas

Adcock

Forstner

2023

PLoS ONE

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“…Selective pressures are driving forces of trait evolution, and within some, but not all taxa, predation pressures are likely associated with the maintenance of regenerative abilities. Among vertebrates, sublethal predation is common among natural populations of teleost fish, anuran tadpoles, urodele amphibians, and non-avian reptiles 7 – 12 . As a result, some species of salamanders and lizards evolved the ability to autotomize, or self-amputate, the tail as an evasive defense tactic 13 – 21 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomical and histological analyses reveal that tail repair is coupled with regrowth in wild-caught, juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)

Palade

Fisher

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Reptiles are the only amniotes that maintain the capacity to regenerate appendages. This study presents the first anatomical and histological evidence of tail repair with regrowth in an archosaur, the American alligator. The regrown alligator tails constituted approximately 6–18% of the total body length and were morphologically distinct from original tail segments. Gross dissection, radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed that caudal vertebrae were replaced by a ventrally-positioned, unsegmented endoskeleton. This contrasts with lepidosaurs, where the regenerated tail is radially organized around a central endoskeleton. Furthermore, the regrown alligator tail lacked skeletal muscle and instead consisted of fibrous connective tissue composed of type I and type III collagen fibers. The overproduction of connective tissue shares features with mammalian wound healing or fibrosis. The lack of skeletal muscle contrasts with lizards, but shares similarities with regenerated tails in the tuatara and regenerated limbs in Xenopus adult frogs, which have a cartilaginous endoskeleton surrounded by connective tissue, but lack skeletal muscle. Overall, this study of wild-caught, juvenile American alligator tails identifies a distinct pattern of wound repair in mammals while exhibiting features in common with regeneration in lepidosaurs and amphibia.

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A New Host Record for Clinostomum cf. marginatum (Trematoda: Digenea: Clinostomidae) from the Endemic Salado Salamander, Eurycea chisholmensis (Caudata: Plethodontidae), from the Edwards Plateau, Texas, U.S.A.

McAllister

Adcock

Villamizar-Gomez

et al. 2021

Comparative Parasitology

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Frequency and Ecology of Tail Loss in Populations of the Georgetown Salamander (Eurycea naufragia)

Cited by 3 publications

References 35 publications

Development and validation of an environmental DNA assay to detect federally threatened groundwater salamanders in central Texas

Development and validation of an environmental DNA assay to detect federally threatened groundwater salamanders in central Texas

Anatomical and histological analyses reveal that tail repair is coupled with regrowth in wild-caught, juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)

A New Host Record for Clinostomum cf. marginatum (Trematoda: Digenea: Clinostomidae) from the Endemic Salado Salamander, Eurycea chisholmensis (Caudata: Plethodontidae), from the Edwards Plateau, Texas, U.S.A.

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