Question

Parental care in female red-backed salamanders consists of ________.

1) Building nests for their eggs
2) Guarding the eggs until they hatch
3) Feeding and protecting the young after they hatch
4) All of the above

Answer 1

Female red-backed salamanders exhibit parental care by guarding their eggs until they hatch, ensuring their offspring's survival by protecting them from predators.

Step-by-step explanation:

Parental care in female red-backed salamanders consists primarily of guarding the eggs until they hatch. Unlike reptiles like crocodiles that may protect their young after they hatch, salamanders do not usually continue to provide care post-hatching. Once the red-backed salamanders' eggs are laid in damp nests, the females guard them, helping to ensure a better survival rate for the offspring by protecting them from potential predators and environmental hazards until they are ready to fend for themselves in their tiny adult form.