The feeding habits of fire salamander,Salamandra infraimmaculata semenovi (Amphibia:Caudata:Salamandridae) from three population in western iran , Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces , examined using a nonlethal technique

Feeding habit in three populations of fire salamander, Salamandra infraimmaculata semenovi have been studied at Zagros mountain in western part if Iran, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces in June 2011. We conducted study using adut S.i.semenovi to determine (1) the prey composition of adult salamander , (2) probability differences between food habits of this species in three populations ,(3) whether adult size affects the diversity of prey items and (4) whether nonlethal stomach flushing is an effective technique for examining the diet of S.i.semenovi , and is there a significance differences in results of prey item examination between nonlethal technique (Stomach – Flushing) and direct observation (dissection). S.i.semenovi s adults consumed a wide diversity of prey items including small terrestrial invertebrates speciallythat Coleopteran with 38.3% of prey items have the most frequency in food contents . Gastropoda with 31.7% have the second place in the prey items frequencies . Hymenoptera with 3.3% of prey item have the least frequency in S.i.semenovi food content. We found some differences in prey items frequency between three populations. The results show that the larger salamander (distinguished with S.V.L character, snout – vent length to the posterior tip of vent) consumed a wider diversity of prey items than smaller individuals. Our result also suggested that nonlethal stomach flushing did not affect survivorship and also there is no significance difference in result of prey items examination using the stomach flushing and dissection , so using the stomach flushing for feeding habit examination according to the number limitation and IUCN (2010) that categorized S.i.semenovi as near threatened is essential .These finding suggest that S.i.semanovi insects , The feeding habits obtaining data shows is a generalist predator that play important trophic roles in terrestrial ecosystems