Theodor-Sebastian TOPLICEANU1,
Nikolay NATCHEV2, Teodora
KOYNOVA3, Dan COGĂLNICEANU4
1 drd.,
Junior Researcher, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius
University, Constanța, Romania (topliceanu.sebastian@gmail.com)
2 Prof., PhD, Faculty
of Natural Science, Konstantin Preslavski University
of Shumen, Shumen, Bulgaria; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for
Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (natchev@shu.bg).
3 Assoc. prof., PhD,
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Konstantin Preslavski
University of Shumen, Shumen, Bulgaria, (t.koynova@shu.bg).
4 Prof. Univ., PhD.,
affiliation: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University,
Constanța, Romania (dcogalniceanu@univ-ovidius.ro), Romanian Academy Coresspondent Member, Academy of Romanian Scientists
*Corresponding author: Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu, topliceanu.sebastian@gmail.com
Abstract. The decrease in
water availability is a threat to amphibian fitness and demography traits due
to habitat reduction and rising individual densities of larvae in smaller water
bodies. We assessed the short-term effects of increased densities on the body
size, survival and behaviour (aggressivity and cannibalism) of Triturus
dobrogicus (Kiritzescu 1903) larvae in experimental low, medium and high
densities. Our results showed that high densities negatively affect the body
size at metamorphosis and survival rate. Also, the frequency of injuries due to
aggressivity and cannibalism increased at high individual densities. By
extrapolating the results to natural conditions, we predict that increased
densities will affect larval fitness and overall the reproductive success. The
present study showed how the aquatic habitat reduction due to desiccation
induces negative short-term effects in a newt population.
Key words: growth,
survival rate, aggressivity, cannibalism.
DOI https://doi.org/10.56082/annalsarscibio.2023.1.21
Abstract
Article Volume 12 No 1 2023