Abstract
In vertebrates, the main tissue devoted to energy storage is the adipose tissue. In salamanders, energy reserves can also be stored in the adipose tissues of the tail. Therefore, we evaluated if energy storage in salamanders’ tails is related to individual body condition, life cycle and environmental constraints. We calculated a scaled measure of tail width for 345 salamanders belonging to six Mediterranean taxa exhibiting wide phylogenetic, behavioural and ecological variation. We related this measure to the Scaled Mass Index (SMI), a body condition index which reliably predicts body fat. We found significant relationships between the SMI and scaled tail width in the terrestrial Spectacled salamander and Alpine salamanders, independently of sex. At the same time, we found that energy storage in the tail is maximum in Alpine Salamanders, which experience reduced activity periods and restricted access to resources. Conversely, we found a significant effect of sex in Imperial cave salamanders, where females store reserves in the tail to counterbalance resource investment in parental care, and in Corsican Brook Newts, where the reproductive function of males’ tails may imply a greater tail width. Finally, in the biphasic Great Crested Newt, tail width was not related to SMI in both sexes.
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All datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Data collection of S. atra was supported by Servizio Aree Protette e Sviluppo Sostenibile PAT (Convention PAT- LIFE11/NAT/IT/000187 "TEN"–Trentino Ecological Network), by MUSE and by Paneveggio–Pale di San Martino Natural Park. Paolo Pedrini participated to fieldwork. We are grateful to Matthias Waltert (EiC), to Oliver Hawlitschek (AE) and to three anonymous Reviewers for their valuable comments on a previous version of this study.
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GR, AC, and SS conceived and designed the study; all Authors collected the data; GR and AC analysed the data; GR, AC and SS led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.
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Permits for temporary capture were issued by: Italian Ministry of Environment (Prot. 10210/PNM of 21/05/2015) and Sardinia Region (Det. 14951 N 465 of 01/07/2015) for S. imperialis; Italian Ministry of Environment (Prot. PNM-II-2012–0015691; PNM-EU-2017–005370; PNM-EU-2017–005370) for S. perspicillata, S. atra atra and S. a. aurorae, respectively; Prefecture of Haute Corse (2B–2018–01–92–004) for E. montanus, and Prefect Bouches-du-Rhône (2010 252–0001) for T. cristatus.
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Communicated by: Oliver Hawlitschek .
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Rosa, G., Costa, A., Renet, J. et al. Energy storage in salamanders’ tails: the role of sex and ecology. Sci Nat 108, 27 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01741-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01741-1