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posture the cave salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) assumes when attacked
by a predator such as a bird. Note that the salamander closes its eyes
and raises and wiggles its tail above its lower head. A noxious skin secretion
is released onto the surface of the tail.
salamanders can be an important food source for many reptiles, birds,
and mammals, it is not surprising that they have defense mechanisms to
help them avoid predators. Most salamanders produce sticky, distasteful,
or poisonous skin secretions that deter these predators. The slimy salamander
(Plethodon glutinosus) is well known for smearing attackers with
a sticky secretion, and the large tail of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma
tigrinum) can flip harmful secretions onto a predator's face. Skin
secretions of the eastern newt, especially the eft,
induce vomiting in predators, which allows them to escape from a predator's
digestive tract, if swallowed. Skin secretions may be reinforced by other
defensive behaviors. For example, the redback salamander (Plethodon
cinereus) may assume a coiled, defensive posture that protects its
head while presenting its tail and unpleasant skin secretions. The dusky
salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) can run swiftly and leap to escape.
The ability to lose its tail, either by constriction at the base of the
tail (four-toed salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum) or by the long,
easily-broken tail in species of Eurycea and Plethodon provides an edible
distraction for the predator while allowing the salamander to escape.
The tail may be completely regenerated within a year or two. Bright warning
coloration, such as that of the longtail (Eurycea longicauda) and
cave salamanders (Eurycea lucifuga), helps predators with color
vision to associate the prey with the bad-tasting secretions and reminds
predators to avoid these salamanders.
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