| The spatial distribution of the Desmognathus streamside community assemblage in the Appalachians is influenced by intraspecific and interspecific aggressive interactions. Desmognathus quadramaculatus is the largest, and seemingly the most aggressive in interspecific interactions in the Desmognathus community. The behavior patterns exhibited by D. quadramaculatus were videotaped, described, and quantified in a laboratory examination of agonistic behavior. There were significant size and sex relationships in the level of agonistic behavior, with males exhibiting more overall aggression than females. Very little aggressive behavior occurred in female-female pairings. The most escalated measures of aggression, fighting and biting, occurred most frequently between large males. In male-male encounters, biting was primarily directed to the most vulnerable parts of the body, the head and tail. When biting females, males directed a greater proportion of bites to the trunk, a less vulnerable region of the body. Residency status had little effect on the level of aggressive behavior exhibited. |
