In this article we studied the trophic niche of two sympatric salamanders, the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra and the Italian cave salamander Speleomantes italicus. We found that the Italian cave salamander mostly consumed flying prey with a hard cuticle, while the fire salamander preferred worm-like and soft-bodied prey. We hypothesize that in our case, the two species of salamanders did not have to change their prey preference in order to avoid competition, but divergences in metabolism and behavioral traits likely worked as natural deterrent.
Title: The Trophic Niche of Two Sympatric Species of Salamanders (Plethodontidae and Salamandridae) from Italy
Authors: Enrico Lunghi, Claudia Corti, Marta Biaggini, Yahui Zhao and Fabio Cianferoni
Journal: Animals
Link to the article: The Trophic Niche of Two Sympatric Species of Salamanders (Plethodontidae and Salamandridae) from Italy
