P. cinereus and springtails

[Otterwoman]

I read in a respected Amphibian book that Plethodon cinereus does not eat collembolans (i.e. springtails). I never kept any. Can anyone refute this?

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Says here they eat them AmphibiaWeb - Plethodon cinereus

 

[Otterwoman]

It says they eat them on Caudata Culture too. I am wondering if anyone who actually keeps this species knows whether they eat them, from experience.

 

[tony]

Hi mine eat them.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Mine eat them all the time. I have noticed the larger salamanders don't forage for them as regularly as the smaller guys though.

 

[Otterwoman]

I don't know why that guy said that. But otherwise the book is fantastic. I"ll be reviewing it in the next few.

 

[KevinS]

What book is this? Did it say specifically that they don't eat them or were collembolans just absent from the results of a dietary study?

 

[Otterwoman]

It said that where there are p. cinereus collembolans thrive because they eat their predators and not the collembolans. It's Wells book. I can't quote it directly yet because it's still in my locker at work.

 

[Jake]

It said that where there are p. cinereus collembolans thrive because they eat their predators and not the collembolans. It's Wells book. I can't quote it directly yet because it's still in my locker at work.

I've seen my P.cinereus eat the larger springtails. Perhaps he said that because a lot of times when you find a redback you'll see lots of springtails, but springtails are extremely prolific and common. It would take a very talented (determined and hungry) redback to eat all of the springtails under a log.

 

[Plethodonae]

My P. Cinereus never ate springtails....he loved baby crickets though.