Site Selection by Hynobius tokyoensis for Breeding in a Stream

Abstract

A breeding site of the salamander Hynobius tokyoensis in a flowing stream was surveyed in the Yamanaka District of Miura Peninsula, central Japan, from March to April 2000, and from February to March 2002. The numbers of males, females, and egg sac pairs found in the stream were 32, three, and 31 in 2000, and 27, three, and 32 in 2002, respectively. The results of field observations suggest that the salamander prefers hollows under broader stones in the stream for breeding and/or spawning, presumably in order to avoid accidental washing away of egg sacs. © 2002, The Herpetological Society of Japan. All rights reserved.