Unpublished conference/Abstract (Scientific congresses and symposiums)
Personalities in captive amphibians: how do alpine (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and palmate (Lissotriton helveticus) newts adapt their behaviour when maintained ex-situ?
Fieschi-Méric, Léa; Denoël, Mathieu; Lesbarrères, David
2019 • Annual conference of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
[en] Amphibians are currently the animal class facing the highest risk of extinction, notably because of disease outbreaks. Faced with the urgency and the complexity of the situation, conservation institutions prioritize the implementation of ex-situ collections to ensure the persistence of the most endangered species. Yet, little is known about the effect of captivity on their skin microbiome, an effective barrier against pathogens responsible for chytridiomycosis in the wild. Moreover, behavioural adaptations to captivity have been reported in several anurans. We hypothesize that captivity could restructure salamander skin microbiota, and could also modify their behaviour, thereby weakening their in-situ fitness during reintroduction efforts.
Using two European urodeles, the alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris, and the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus, we collected adults in the wild and kept them in captivity for a year, while monitoring the evolution of their behaviour and skin microbiome monthly. Differences in microbiome and behaviour were noted between sexes and species, and between phases (aquatic to terrestrial phase). As our results suggest, newts have different personalities and show differences in the evolution of the skin-microbiome. Taken together, we hope these results will provide general guidelines for in-situ conservation projects for urodeles.
Denoël, Mathieu ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Laboratoire d'Écologie et de Conservation des Amphibiens
Lesbarrères, David; Laurentian University - LU > Biology > Dr.
Language :
English
Title :
Personalities in captive amphibians: how do alpine (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and palmate (Lissotriton helveticus) newts adapt their behaviour when maintained ex-situ?
Publication date :
25 September 2019
Event name :
Annual conference of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums