Feeding times of Amphiuma tridactylum at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee

Abstract/Summary

Feeding activity times were determined for Amphiuma tridactylum in a roadside slough adjacent to Reelfoot Lake in northwestern Tennessee. Twenty-nine A. tridactylum were captured using baited deep-water crawfish nets, with more than half of the captures being large adults. Despite the majority (82.4%) of trapping effort being concentrated in daytime hours, 82.7% of A. tridactylum captures were at night. Capture rates during nighttime hours were more than 25 times greater than during daytime capture rates. Though nocturnal, the mid-day captures indicated that A. tridactylum may exit their burrows during the day. This study also provides an alternative trapping method for Amphiuma, in which feeding times can be accurately determined.