DO THESE CRAYFISH MAKE ME LOOK FAT? BODY CONDITION CORRELATES TO PREY ABUNDANCE IN THREE HELLBENDER (CRYPTOBRANCHUS ALLEGANIENSIS) POPULATIONS

Abstract

In ecological studies body condition is often measured as an indicator of animal health or well-being. The Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is a threatened salamander species found throughout the montane regions of the eastern United States. Although few young individuals have historically been found in the wild, recent studies in Blue Ridge Physiographic Regions have uncovered larvae in several streams. In Little River, Tennessee, differences in the crayfish population, the principal component of the adult Hellbender diet, was hypothesized as a potential reason for the large number of immature individuals, and lack of large adults. To investigate this hypothesis, we compared body condition of Hellbenders in three streams with different crayfish relative frequencies. Body condition of Hellbenders was positively correlated with crayfish relative frequencies, with Hellbenders in the stream with the highest crayfish relative frequency exhibiting the highest expected mass per total length.