Investigation on feeding biology of caucasican salamander, Mertensiella caucasica (Waga, 1876) (Urodela: Salamandridae)

In this study, the feeding biology of Mertensiella caucasica ,Waga, 1876, (Urodela: Salamandridae) population in the Doğancı Village from Şalpazarı county of Trabzon province was investigated. Stomach contents of 130 salamanders captured in June, July, August and September in 2011 were removed by flushing method. Totally, 771 individual prey items were identified from the stomachs of 119 frogs. The remaining 11, ones had no prey items in their stomachs. From the results of the stomach contents, it was found that this salamander fed inparticularly on insects which were found predominantly in numerical (61,74%), volumetric (40,88%) ve frequency (59,37%) in diet. Diptera larvae and adult with Collembola and Coleoptera adults had the largest proportions among insects, while were invertebrates in diet of Caucasian salamander, it was not found any vertebrates. At least a prey was found from 68 of 71 (95,77%) captured female salamanders and 51 of 59 (86,44%) male salamanders. Totally, 4874,14 mm3 volumetric prey indentified from the stomachs of 68 females, while totally 3038,52 mm3 volumetric prey indentified from stomachs of 51 males. According to stomach contents of the females and males show that both females and males had similar prey various. Among mounts, a number of prey, volumetric prey and average of prey were found different. The results of all analyses suggest that M. caucasica is an opportunistic predator feeding on the animals which are large as it can swallow and the diet of it depends on the prey abundance in the environment.