Moderate consistency in smooth newt behaviour

Behavioural consistency (i.e., personality) is a novel field of research in amphibians. Current published studies often address only one or two aspects of personality and therefore cannot assess more complex relationships and behavioural syndromes. This is the first study focusing on all relevant behavioural traits and their relationships in urodele amphibians. Based on the three trials of the experiment, we examined the consistency of activity (time spent moving), boldness (latency of the first movement and time spent escaping) and exploration (number of visited segments of testing arena) of 42 smooth newts (Lissotriton vulgaris). Individual consistency, calculated through the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was low in newt activity (ICC = 0.192) and moderate in boldness (0.476) and exploration (0.403). Activity was moderately consistent for each trial (0.425), indicating a possible habituation, supported by a decrease of mean activity throughout the trials. Correlation of the behavioural traits studied suggests the presence of a behavioural syndrome, which potentially shaped the traits together. Our findings suggest the need for a complex approach to the study of amphibian personality and the need for standardized methodology, which would solve the current difficulties in comparing published results.