Palmo, Thupten, Animal Behavior, Bucknell University, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 17837, tp012@bucknell.edu; Valente, Mia, Animal Behavior, Bucknell University, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 17837, mmv004@bucknell.edu; Takahashi, Mizuki, Biology and Animal Behavior Bucknell University 701 Moore Ave Lewisburg Pennsylvania, 17837, mt027@bucknell.edu.
Japanese Giant Salamanders (Andrias japonicus) are fully aquatic, stream salamanders, endemic to Western Japan. Despite federal protection as a special national monument, it is threatened with extinction, and the declining trend continues due to habitat destruction, such as dam and concrete bank construction, as well as hybridization with Chinese Giant Salamanders. Wara in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is one of the critical habitats for A. japonicus. However, information about the species is still largely based on local ecological knowledge (LEK), and only a few preliminary surveys have been conducted. Integration of LEK and citizen science into the monitoring of rare or threatened species has become a popular approach in conservation biology. Yet, the accuracy of LEK has rarely been assessed. To test the accuracy of LEK, we (1) conducted formal interviews with the locals, (2) investigated the fine-scale distribution of A. japonicus via environmental DNA (eDNA) and nighttime surveys, and (3) evaluated the accuracy of LEK based on the comparison between the interview results and the field surveys. With IRB approval, we distributed 200 surveys across Wara during the summer of 2025, yielding 96 responses. We collected water samples from various streams and estimated eDNA concentration of each sample using qPCR. With a few discrepancies, the interview results largely agreed with the field surveys. Our findings contribute to conservation biology and provide insights into the accuracy of LEK as a tool to assess the status and location of endangered species.
Andrias japonicus, LEK, Conservation,