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Salamander Season

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tylototriton

Guest
Hey everyone,
This is the first of several reports I plan on posting. Today was the first day I went out in search of some Ambystomids. As I expected there was no sign to be found but the vernal pools have begun to fill and the ponds defrost, so at some point this week we should begin to see movement and breeding should begin. I expect this will all be triggered by the first rain of the week.

Alex
 
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tylototriton

Guest
The Beginning!!

Tonight was the first "warm" rain of the year. It rained all afternoon with temperatures of about 45-48. Although the rain petered off before dark I was still able to find two A. maculatum on the short ride home as they crossed the road. I expect that tomorrow night will be even better with rain predicted all night long and temperatures near 55.
 

John

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Hi Alex,

How did it go? Get any photos?
 
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tylototriton

Guest
Well the Tuesday night trip was unfortunately cancelled. I got sick and there was no rain anyway, so movement would have been minimal. I'm going out this weekend to inspect the vernal pools and will hopefully get some pictures then. I'll keep everyone updated.

Alex
 
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tylototriton

Guest
I just found 3 more spotteds on a five minute ride home tonight. Unfortunately it was around 11:30 and I was sans camera. Hopefully it will rain again so I can get some shots.

Alex
 

cheddarsox

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Here is South Carolina...I found some spotted larvae getting pretty close to transforming about a week ago...we are on a very different seasonal schedule from CT! We find the eggs in Dec and Jan.

I saw some very robust Desmognathus over the weekend while hiking in the NC mountains.

Even though we've seen some decent rain over the past few months, we are still feeling the effects of drought...not finding many manders in the woods, the rotting logs and leaf litter are much drier than normal.
 
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tylototriton

Guest
Well it rained again tonight. In the beginning of spring it wouldn't rain at all, and now I can't escape it. Tonight I found several very small red efts (N.v.v. juveniles) crossing the road. I'm a little surprised that I have seen them this early because they don't appear to be last years young, rather early morphs from this year. There were also quite a few toads (B. americanus) out.

Alex
 

dustoj

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Just yesterday I found several egg masses of spotted salamanders (ambystoma maculatum). I've been eyeing the vernal ponds since the snow melted (about three and half weeks ago). The eggs were not there a week and a half ago, but there were plenty yesterday. Also yesterday, I found some earlier laid egg masses of blue-spotted salamanders (ambystoma laterale) in the same pool. They were almost all already hatched or decayed. I did get ten embryos that were in fine condition about to hatch in the next day or two.
 
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