wes_von_papineäu
Our Roving Correspondent
DAILY GRAPHIC (Portage la Prarie, Manitoba) 24 July 09 A slower year for salamanders (Laura Shantora Nelles)
Unlike in years past, Portage la Prairie has seen very few salamanders out and about this year, according to Dave Green, parks manager for the City of Portage.
In the past, there has been salamanders spotted wandering around Portage, and being fished out of the pool at Splash Island.
"There's been a few, not like in the past though. We've probably had about a half dozen we've taken out of the pool this year," said Green.
The salamanders migrate from the lake, and can become a nuisance.
"They do it every year, and they get on people's nerves," Green explained.
While salamanders may appear creepy, they are not harmful to humans. "They're just a pest. People don't like them because they're slimy and kind of ugly. They're kind of like a small lizard."
The salamanders in Portage are small — usually about five to six inches in size — and appear either a muddy grey or grey with yellow spots. They prefer cool, damp places, such as basements and cellars. They tend to stay along the banks of the lake, but sometimes wander away. Green said he is unsure why the salamanders do this, but it happens each summer.
"I remember years back, there used to be a lot of them. The road would be covered with thousands of salamanders. In the last 15 or 20 years, we haven't seen that. Two years ago, we did have the numbers up, and we pulled about 40-50 of them out of the pool," Green said.
http://www.cpheraldleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1671392
Unlike in years past, Portage la Prairie has seen very few salamanders out and about this year, according to Dave Green, parks manager for the City of Portage.
In the past, there has been salamanders spotted wandering around Portage, and being fished out of the pool at Splash Island.
"There's been a few, not like in the past though. We've probably had about a half dozen we've taken out of the pool this year," said Green.
The salamanders migrate from the lake, and can become a nuisance.
"They do it every year, and they get on people's nerves," Green explained.
While salamanders may appear creepy, they are not harmful to humans. "They're just a pest. People don't like them because they're slimy and kind of ugly. They're kind of like a small lizard."
The salamanders in Portage are small — usually about five to six inches in size — and appear either a muddy grey or grey with yellow spots. They prefer cool, damp places, such as basements and cellars. They tend to stay along the banks of the lake, but sometimes wander away. Green said he is unsure why the salamanders do this, but it happens each summer.
"I remember years back, there used to be a lot of them. The road would be covered with thousands of salamanders. In the last 15 or 20 years, we haven't seen that. Two years ago, we did have the numbers up, and we pulled about 40-50 of them out of the pool," Green said.
http://www.cpheraldleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1671392