Poop sniffers

[benjamin]

I recently read an article in "BBC Wildlife Magazine", which said that female red back sals (Plehtodon sinereus) sniff the poop of other red backs to tell what type of prey is avaliable in the area and the quality of potential mates. It also said that males can poop more frequently than usual in order to lure females into their territory. Has anyone else heard of this?

 

[edward]

Hi Mike,
I think this is the original citation
Jaeger, R.G. 1984. Agonistic behavior of the red-backed salamander. Copeia 1984(2):304-314.

And here is the paper that lists the pH intolerances of P. cinereus

Sugalski, Mark T. and Dennis L. Claussen. 1997. Preference for soil moisture, soil pH, and light intensity by the salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Journal of Herpetology. 31 (2):245-250.

Ed