Answer:
Many important components of animal behavior, growth, and reproduction are tightly linked to environmental conditions, particularly for ectothermic freshwater organisms. For amphibian species, factors such as temperature and rainfall can be physiologically limiting and alter activity levels. The effects of environmental conditions on terrestrial amphibian movement have been well characterized, but less is known about the importance of these factors in aquatic habitats. Here we investigate the impact of temperature and rainfall on the activity of a pond-dwelling amphibian using capture patterns of aquatic adult red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens). Data on newt captures, air temperature, and rainfall were collected for 6 years (2009, 2011, 2013–2016) during the winter breeding season at a wetland in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, USA. In 2016, we collected more detailed data on the size and sex of captured newts, as well as recording water temperature.
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