Stripe Speed: How Location Shapes Salamander Performance
New research from a Binghamton University doctoral student reveals that the link between a salamander's color and its sprint speed depends heavily on where it lives.
“No correlation between sprint speed and color was found at the campus site. A positive correlation was found at the northern site, and a negative correlation at the western site.”
The Study
Sophia Zaslow, a doctoral student at Binghamton University, is investigating the relationship between body color and sprint speed in the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Her undergraduate research, published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, examined whether stripe color variation correlates with physiological performance.
The study focused on the red-striped morph of the salamander, which features a distinctive red stripe running from head to tail. Researchers collected salamanders from three sites in New Hampshire: a campus preserve, a northern forest, and a western forest.
Testing for Speed
Sprint trials were conducted on a wooden track. Zaslow tapped each salamander with a paintbrush to encourage movement and recorded its speed.
The results were striking—but inconsistent. At the campus site, no correlation between sprint speed and color was found. At the northern site, researchers found a positive correlation, while the western site revealed a negative correlation.
Why Location Matters
Researchers suggest that site-specific factors—such as resource availability or predation pressure—may influence sprint behavior, rather than color alone. This finding underscores the complexity of evolutionary relationships in nature.
Background on the Species
Eastern red-backed salamanders have three morphs: the red-striped, the lead (gray without stripe), and a rare fully red-orange variant. The species is long-lived, reaching up to 8–9 years.
Zaslow continues this research at Binghamton University, planning to study respiration rates and age-related color changes in these fascinating amphibians.