wes_von_papineäu
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BOLTON COMMON (Massachusetts) 28 March 08 A Big Night for viewing frogs and salamanders (Holly Camero)
Bolton: It’s a mating ritual as old as time and hundreds will travel, under rain-drenched skies, trying to make their way to a liquid oasis. The males will arrive first, eagerly awaiting the onslaught of females. The courtship ends quickly though, as these amphibians get down to the business of laying and fertilizing their eggs in a local vernal pool. Once finished, the wood frogs and spotted salamanders will abandon the eggs and return to higher ground.
According to Bolton resident Rona Balco, this passage, often referred to as “Big Night” occurs all over the country at various times of the year.
Carol Gumbart, Bolton’s Conservation Commission administrator, said that optimal weather conditions for a “Big Night,” include rainy weather and a temperature of at least 40 degrees.
It is difficult to know for sure when the migration will take place.
“We’re on Mother Nature’s time table,” said Balco.
Balco, who has been watching the migration for years, said it is important to keep an eye on the temperature. The best scenario, she said, is if it starts to rain during the day and continues into the evening.
Gumbart added that the amphibians travel to their breeding areas when it is rainy because they need to be moist. They hibernate in upland areas, she said, and begin to wake up during the warmer weather. She admitted that the migration can happen in stages, but if the weather conditions are optimal, “you can have what we call a Big Night, when the amphibians will all move at one time.”
Once they have reached their destination, Gumbart said, they will lay their eggs and then migrate back up. Eggs are laid in masses, attached to grasses or twigs, then left alone to hatch for themselves.
Balco said that the survival of the eggs depends on a variety of factors. Wood frogs, she said, lay their eggs at the surface of the water. A cold wind could blow them away or the water can evaporate. If it is too early in the season a drop in the water temperature can destroy the eggs. Salamanders lay their eggs in the middle or the bottom of the pool, so they are not as prone to the whims of the weather.
“It is all very scientific according to the salamanders,” Balco laughed.
The eggs are also vulnerable to the other critters that come to the vernal pool for food — turtles, dragonflies, snakes, and even other frogs.
“The vernal pool is really a buffet. Everyone is eating somebody,” Balco said.
“It’s quite an occasion. It’s quite something to see,” she said. “The only problem is that it’s not an event you can plan. I can’t wave my magic wand to say tonight is the night.”
Residents are invited to come and experience this phenomenon. Viewing will take place at the vernal pool at the corner of Golden Run and Quail Run roads. Call Rona Balco to be added to the contact list at 978-779-2259.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/bolton/homepage/x1681298480
Bolton: It’s a mating ritual as old as time and hundreds will travel, under rain-drenched skies, trying to make their way to a liquid oasis. The males will arrive first, eagerly awaiting the onslaught of females. The courtship ends quickly though, as these amphibians get down to the business of laying and fertilizing their eggs in a local vernal pool. Once finished, the wood frogs and spotted salamanders will abandon the eggs and return to higher ground.
According to Bolton resident Rona Balco, this passage, often referred to as “Big Night” occurs all over the country at various times of the year.
Carol Gumbart, Bolton’s Conservation Commission administrator, said that optimal weather conditions for a “Big Night,” include rainy weather and a temperature of at least 40 degrees.
It is difficult to know for sure when the migration will take place.
“We’re on Mother Nature’s time table,” said Balco.
Balco, who has been watching the migration for years, said it is important to keep an eye on the temperature. The best scenario, she said, is if it starts to rain during the day and continues into the evening.
Gumbart added that the amphibians travel to their breeding areas when it is rainy because they need to be moist. They hibernate in upland areas, she said, and begin to wake up during the warmer weather. She admitted that the migration can happen in stages, but if the weather conditions are optimal, “you can have what we call a Big Night, when the amphibians will all move at one time.”
Once they have reached their destination, Gumbart said, they will lay their eggs and then migrate back up. Eggs are laid in masses, attached to grasses or twigs, then left alone to hatch for themselves.
Balco said that the survival of the eggs depends on a variety of factors. Wood frogs, she said, lay their eggs at the surface of the water. A cold wind could blow them away or the water can evaporate. If it is too early in the season a drop in the water temperature can destroy the eggs. Salamanders lay their eggs in the middle or the bottom of the pool, so they are not as prone to the whims of the weather.
“It is all very scientific according to the salamanders,” Balco laughed.
The eggs are also vulnerable to the other critters that come to the vernal pool for food — turtles, dragonflies, snakes, and even other frogs.
“The vernal pool is really a buffet. Everyone is eating somebody,” Balco said.
“It’s quite an occasion. It’s quite something to see,” she said. “The only problem is that it’s not an event you can plan. I can’t wave my magic wand to say tonight is the night.”
Residents are invited to come and experience this phenomenon. Viewing will take place at the vernal pool at the corner of Golden Run and Quail Run roads. Call Rona Balco to be added to the contact list at 978-779-2259.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/bolton/homepage/x1681298480