NOTAS DE COMPORTAMIENTO DEFENSIVO DE DOS SALAMANDRAS DE LA REGIÓN DE TALAMANCA, COSTA RICA

Abstract

Salamanders have a variety of defensive and antipredator behavioral mechanisms. Herein, we report defensive behavior of Bolitoglossa gomezi and Oedipina savagei at Las Tablas Protected Zone, Costa Rica. Behavior of B. gomezi consisted in flipping the body to the ground and remained immobile; O. savagei held the tail elevated about 90º angle with the body. First mechanism has been related to difficulty from predators to relocate the prey, and second mechanism with attracting predators to the tail, a most dispensable part of the body. Defensive behavior in salamanders are frequent, but literature reports on field observations are scarce. We encourage herpetologists to fill this knowledge gaps.