Sensory Mediation of Foraging Behavior in the Western Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia nettingi)
2013
Martin, Bradley T. | Goodding, Daniel D. | Ford, Neil B. | Placyk, John S.
The Western Lesser Siren, Siren intermedia nettingi, is a fully aquatic, paedomorphic salamander. The foraging ecology of S. i. nettingi is poorly understood in part because of its nocturnal, benthic nature. We examined sensory mediation of S. i. nettingi foraging behavior focusing on how chemical and visual stimuli may be used to find prey. Specifically, sirens were observed in a test chamber that gave them the option of associating with a control stimulus or either a visual or a chemical prey stimulus. Our paired t-tests indicate a significant difference between the treatment and control groups for chemical stimuli but not for visual stimuli, and this is confirmed by our one-sample t-tests that indicated a significant difference from 50% for chemical but not for visual stimuli. These results suggest that Western Lesser Sirens use chemical cues over visual cues when foraging. Our results are logical considering that sirens have noticeably reduced eyes and are thought to be nocturnal foragers. This study contributes to the limited natural history knowledge of an amphibian species that is often a top predator in the aquatic systems in which it is found.
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