Male Hynobius leechii (Amphibia: Hynobiidae) Discriminate Female Reproductive States Based onChemical Cues

초록

A series of no-choice olfactory response testsusing water pre-conditioned with females, with intact andsurgically removed ventral glands, at various reproductivestates were conducted to determine whether male Hynobiusleechii discriminates among females in diferent reproductivestates based on chemical cues. Similarly, ventral glandextracts were tested, and ventral glands were examinedin four (ovulating, ovulated, ovipositing, and oviposited)reproductive states were independently measured by: i) thelatency time to initiate male behavioral response, ii) thearrival time at a fixed point of putative odor source, and iii)the staying time close to the odor point source. Malesalamanders showed significant olfactory responses torecently ovulated and ovipositing female odors by quicklyarriving at odor sources and staying longer at the origin ofthe source, but the olfactory responses to the earlier stagedfemales were not diferent from controls. Olfactory responsesof test males to water preconditioned by intact females orfemales with ventral glands excised were not different. Inaddition, ventral gland extracts did not induce significantolfactory responses of test males although the lumens ofalveoli in ventral glands of oviposited females were smallerthan those of ovulated females. These results indicate thatmale H. leechi recognizes ovulated and ovipositing femalesbased on chemical cues released but not from the ventralglands.

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