Environmental Drivers of Local Demography and Size Plasticity in Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra)

Research on fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley reveals that local habitat quality significantly influences adult body size, driven by growth rates of aquatic larvae and terrestrial juveniles. The study found that non-lethal heavy metal contamination in streams leads to smaller juveniles and adults, demonstrating carry-over effects between life stages. While populations showed similar age distributions, variation in body size was strongly linked to environmental factors such as landscape-induced mortality risks from roads and agriculture. Notably, Rhine Valley populations exhibited generally smaller adult sizes compared to other regions, suggesting an unidentified environmental driver at play.

Sinsch, U. (2024). Environmental Drivers of Local Demography and Size Plasticity in Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Animals, 14(19), 2869. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192869