Horsley, Luna, Animal Behavior Program, Bucknell University, 701 Moore Ave C#0407, Lewisburg, PA 17837, lch014@bucknell.edu; Takahashi, Mizuki, Department of Biology, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837.
Climate change and extreme climate events pose significant threats to biodiversity. Amphibians are particularly susceptible to climate shifts due to their permeable skin and sensitivity to environmental conditions. Japanese giant salamanders (Andrias japonicus) are currently listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. Understanding the impacts of changing temperatures on physiological health is critical for their conservation efforts. To understand the implications, this study aims to investigate whether the body condition of an A. japonicus population has changed over 14 years in relationship to temperature-related parameters. We assessed body condition, a measurement of overall health, using long-term biometric data collected from 2008 to 2022 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Body condition was calculated using the scaled mass index (SMI). Local air temperature parameters from 2008-2022, collected by the Japan Meteorological Agency, were used to measure changes in the local climate. Preliminary analyses using generalized linear mixed models indicate a decline in body condition in the A. japonicus population from 2008 to 2022. We aim to examine whether these observed declines in body condition correlate with increasing air temperatures. Increasing air temperatures can increase water temperatures, which reduces dissolved oxygen levels. Lower oxygen availability impacts A. japonicus, as they partially rely on cutaneous respiration, making it particularly challenging for them to survive in warmer waters. This study will provide insight into climate change effects on A. japonicus, informing future conservation strategies.