How long can a salamander hold its breath? Recent discussion

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Salamander and Newt Forum ]

Posted by Colchicine on April 18, 2003 at 13:42:25:

Here is an interesting discussion from a listserve, asking how salamanders survive under ice during winter.

Remember, as water cools, dissolved oxygen concentration in that water
actually increases, making more O2 available to be absorbed across the skin.
It works quite nicely.

***

They can withstand anoxia (not just hypoxia) for at least 5 days, even at room
temp, so some days under the ice would be no problem.

> Has this been written up any where?

No, a student did the work in my lab and then dropped the project. Sorry.

***
Many ambystomatid and salamandrid salamanders spend extended periods under the
ice. When the water temperature is <6 C, their metabolic rates are extremely
low and their oxygen demands presumably can be met cutaneously. Of course,
since most North American salamanders are members of the Plethodontidae (the
lungless salamanders) a more clever answer to the question at hand would be
"indefinitely"!

***
Salamanders absorb some of their oxygen directly through the skin. Two things
happen as the water temperature drops

(1) The amount of oxygen dissolved in the water increases, thus facilitating
cutaneous respiration.

(2) The metabolic demand for oxygen decreases as the metabolism slows.

The metabolic rate of amphibians and reptiles is always dramatically lower than
that of mammals and birds, which waste much of their energy maintaining a high
body temperature. At lower temperatures, salamanders require very little
oxygen. Some turtles, especially softshells, may spend the entire winter
submerged. Reptiles typically can not exchange significant oxygen through the
skin, but softshells constantly move water into and out of the pharynx
(throat), where they are able to extract oxygen directly from the water.

Anyway, there is no reason that your salamanders could not remain submerged for
several months during the winter.

***
Some can breath through their cloaca (back end)-- don't know if this is true of
Jefferson salamanders. Many species in this genus (ambystoma) breed under
there conditions and likely survive on the bottom of the breeding pond during
these events.

***
Whenever I have seen winter die off the bodies (newts, salamanders,frogs etc.)
floated to the surface in the spring so you should be able to readily observe
any mortality.

******************
From
Natural Heritage Planning for Amphibians and their Habitats

With reference to populations on the south slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine

Prepared for Save the Rouge Valley System Inc. and the City of Toronto

Supplementary Report for Oak Ridges Moraine Richmond Hill
Ontario Municipal Board Hearing

By Natalie J. Helferty Ecologist

December 2002 Final Report Natural Heritage Consulting

*******

4.2.1 Winter
4.2.1.1 Freeze Tolerant Species

All the terrestrial frog species, except the American toad, overwinter under
leaf litter or in or under rotting logs or in topsoil. Cryoprotectant sugars
(glucose or glycogen) in their cells act as antifreeze to enable these species
to temporarily freeze their extracellular fluids to about .4C without damaging
the cell structure itself (Storey and Storey 1999). Dropping temperatures in
autumn trigger this physiological change. Very cold temperatures for long
periods are not tolerated so an insulating layer of rotting leaves, wood,
topsoil and snow must be available on the forest floor for these species to
survive the cold winters of Ontario.

4.2.1.2 Underground Species

Those species that cannot freeze, like the American toad and all of the
salamander species, must find refuge underground below the frost line or under
leaf litter, in crevices or rotting logs, where temperatures would remain above
freezing in order to survive.

The Ambystoma species, otherwise known as .mole. salamanders, overwinter in
underground usually in mammal holes or excavate existing crevices at about 3
feet below ground (pers. obs.). They may also nest communally (D. Barber, pers.
comm.), which may reduce moisture loss. Salamanders found further south may
overwinter under rotting leaf litter and still survive the winter where
temperatures are warmer in winter, but our northern populations of salamander
in Ontario are invariably found hibernating in historic underground burrows or
systems of burrows. The mole salamanders may also excavate out existing
crevices as well in order to widen them to use as overwintering sites.

Page 19 of 71

[ picture]
Communal use of burrows by Jefferson complex salamanders in Cawthra Woods

The American toad can burrow in sand and loose soils to a depth below ground
that will allow it to survive with a snow cover to act as insulation. American
toads can often overwinter in garden soils, which allow them to adapt to urban
settings. They are the most drought-tolerant with their rough outer skin, which
also allows them to burrow and survive in drier soils in agricultural fields
and urban yards and parks. In fact, Fowler.s toad, a close kin to American
toad, is found only in sandy areas like those along the north shore of Lake
Erie.

4.2.1.3 Semi-Aquatic Species

Red-spotted newt is our only newt species and is quite plastic in its
overwintering habits. The adults may overwinter in permanent ponds, lakes or
slow-moving rivers, but the majority of adult newts leave their ponds to
overwinter nearby on land under leaf litter, logs, and rocks, although in ponds
that are semi-permanent, they may also overwinter under the dried leaf litter
and logs of the pond basin. Some may enter mammal burrows or follow natural
crevices underground as well.

4.2.2 Spring
4.2.2.1 Adult Migration and Breeding

Wood frog, spotted salamander, blue-spotted salamander and Jefferson salamander
complex all require spring ephemeral pools of water in which to breed. They are
considered .vernal pool obligates.. This habitat preference of most upland
amphibians for vernal pools fed by snow melt and spring rains is mainly due to
the fact that these spring wetlands are abundant in forests and are fishless,
owing to their shallow and temporary water since they dry out in summer. All of
these species are the earliest breeders, migrating sometimes when snow is still
on the ground and ice only partially gone from the breeding pond. These species
breed early and their larvae metamorphose quickly to take advantage of these
ephemeral conditions.

Chorus frog is the first to call in spring in shallow temporary wetlands in
open fields and prairies. These wetlands often are the first to form in spring
from melting snow due to their open exposure to the sun, but are also the first
to dry up in early summer. Migration begins from upland sites in mid to late
March and calling is done by early May. Chorus frogs are finished calling and
breeding when other frog species are just starting to call in other deeper and
more shaded wetlands.

Spring peepers and gray treefrogs come out in early spring with the other
species, but do not head to breeding wetlands until mid-May when temperatures
reach around 10 C. In the early spring, on warm and humid days, you can often
hear them calling from treetop perches, which they use to forage in as a
convenient place to camouflage themselves until breeding season arrives. Upon
the arrival of warmer weather, both species come down from tree perches and
migrate overland to breed in the shallows of more permanent waterbodies, which
can dry up on occasion. These semi-permanent wetlands are often edged with
shrubs and trees, which are used as calling perches, with an open-water
component in the deeper sections (> 1 m deep).

For territorial frogs, female frogs will skulk low in the water until a male is
chosen based on his call and quality of territory, whereupon she touches or
even leaps on him to get his attention. He then immediately grabs onto her back
in .amplexus. and will not let go.

Young male frogs will use a tactic to usurp the calling male.s territory by
acting like a female and keeping low in the water. These .satellite. males will
then take over the calling perch once the resident male has gone off to lay
eggs with the female often retreating upon his return.

Calling by male wood frogs and American toads begins once they reach their
breeding wetlands in early and mid-April, respectively. These two species are
.explosive. breeders in that they do not set up territories like other frog
species. Females can arrive at breeding sites within a day to a week or so
after males, depending on local weather conditions. Males try to intercept
females immediately upon arrival, often before the females even reach the
waterbody. Females are often twice the size of males and so an individual
female can carry a smaller male to the water overland. She will then seek out
an appropriate place to lay her eggs underwater, with the male attached to her
back, ready to fertilize her eggs as they are extruded.

The mole salamanders vary in their timing in emergence and migration to
wetlands in spring with .pure. Jefferson salamander males leaving first,
followed by yellow-spotted salamander and then blue-spotted salamander. Females
leave within one or two days after males start migrating, with Jefferson
salamander complex females and yellow-spotted females arriving in wetlands just
after pure Jefferson salamander females. Blue-spotted salamanders, being the
most northerly, arrive last. Typically, blue-spotted and
Jefferson salamander complex species do not breed in the same waterbody, but
either may co-habit with yellow-spotted salamanders.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
www.parcplace.org

Replies to this message will go only to the original sender.

You may leave the list at any time by sending a SIGNOFF PARC
command to the address LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU .
Put ONLY the phrase "SIGNOFF PARC" (without quotes) in the
body of the message and on the subject line. DO NOT send
the SIGNOFF PARC command to the PARC address used to
send messages to PARC listserv subscribers. If your attempt to
sign off fails, contact webmaster@parcplace.org. Thank you
for your cooperation in this matter.

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Salamander and Newt Forum ]