Vol. 5 No. 2 (2010)
Articles

Evidence of tail autotomy in the European plethodontid <em>Hydromantes</em> (<em>Atylodes</em>) <em>genei</em> (Temmick and Schlegel, 1838) (Amphibia: Urodela: Plethodontidae)

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  • Antonio Romano,
  • Felix Amat,
  • Xavier Rivera,
  • Giuseppe Sotgiu,
  • Salvador Carranza
Antonio Romano
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, I-00133 Rome, Italy
Felix Amat
Àrea d’Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers – Ciències Naturals, Francesc Macià 51 08403, Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
Xavier Rivera
Societat Catalana d’Herpetologia Museu de Zoologia, Passeig Picasso s/n. E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
Giuseppe Sotgiu
No profit Naturalistic Association Zirichiltaggi - Sardinia Wildlife Conservation, Strada Vicinale Filigheddu 62/C, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
Salvador Carranza
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-9041

Published 2010-12-20

How to Cite

Romano, A., Amat, F., Rivera, X., Sotgiu, G., & Carranza, S. (2010). Evidence of tail autotomy in the European plethodontid <em>Hydromantes</em> (<em>Atylodes</em>) <em>genei</em> (Temmick and Schlegel, 1838) (Amphibia: Urodela: Plethodontidae). Acta Herpetologica, 5(2), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-9041
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Abstract

Caudal autotomy is a defensive mechanism widely adopted by lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) from the New World. In contrast, in Europe, this mechanism was not described until very recently for just one Sardinian species, Hydromantes (Speleomantes) sarrabusensis. We report on tail autotomy observed in another species from the same island, Hydromantes (Atylodes) genei. In Europe, self-amputation of the tail seems to be restricted to some plethodontids inhabiting Sardinia, while continental species do not exhibit analogous antipredator strategies.
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