Spring Migration Herping

sde

sde

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Seth
Hey everyone,

I thought i would share some of my best photos and best looking animals of what i have found so far in this years migration.
Its been a great year, especially for Taricha granulosa, so far i have found 31, and there should be at a week or so left. I have also found around a dozen Ambystoma gracile, and one adult male Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum.

1. First T. granulosa of the year, a female.
2. A very nice male T. granulosa, with a particularly long tail.
3. A nice male A. gracile.
4. The one male A. macrodactylum macrodactylum i found, in its breeding habitat.
5. A female T. granulosa
6. Happy Valentines Day! ( newt heart ).
7. Two adult female T. granulosa.

All of these were found either during or after rain, and in all cases except the A. m. macrodactylum they were found crossing a road. Temperatures were on average probably around 50-52 F. The first migrating amphibian, the female T. granulosa, was found Janurary 22nd, and the last two photos were taken today.
 

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That one in Picture #2 sure has a long tail!! Did you ever see my thread on the long tail contest?
Really nice pictures, by the way.
 
Otterwoman said:
That one in Picture #2 sure has a long tail!! Did you ever see my thread on the long tail contest?
Really nice pictures, by the way.
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I did, but i don't remember the picture of your male, i will have to refresh my memory. I should measure my males tail as well, he is a nice 6 inch male.
Thanks! :D

Chinadog said:
I'd like to see a pic of that pool in the background in photo no 4, it looks beautiful. :)
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I don't have any good photos of it, i should go back in the next week or so and i can take a picture then :)
 
Wow you're lucky. Spring hasn't even started in the Midwest . Lots of snow , probly will be another month or two

My favorites are the rough skinned newts they have such a cool color
 
schmiggle said:
Those are great pictures! You do enjoy your newt hearts :)
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Thanks! Indeed i do haha.

Springlizard said:
Wow you're lucky. Spring hasn't even started in the Midwest . Lots of snow , probly will be another month or two

My favorites are the rough skinned newts they have such a cool color
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That's too bad. They are my favorites as well :) What species can you find there?

Today i found something for the first time, a one eyed T. granulosa! I was quite surprised when i saw it. Anyone have any ideas about how this happened? Do you think it was born like that or do you think it was due to an injury? Quite odd.
 

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Unfortunately since I am in a developed area there aren't to many species , however blue spotted salamanders seem pretty abundant here and supposedly tiger salamanders , although I haven't had a chance to see one in the wild yet

Once you travel farther down state ( away from Chicago) there are a lot more species. Once the weather gets warmer I'm hoping to make a trip to southern illinios for the spring migration
 
I believe that eye injury was probably from a predator, I don't think it would be born like that, but I've been wrong before
 
Sith the turtle said:
I believe that eye injury was probably from a predator, I don't think it would be born like that, but I've been wrong before
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Personally, I think it's the other way around. Either it was born like that or a disease made it like that. It doesn't look like the eye was punctured or ripped out. It looks like a smaller, malformed (or not formed much at all) eye.

...but I don't know what a healed up eye looks like.
 
Eyes that are injured as larvae, when the newts are most vulnerable, will show little or no evidence of the actual injury.
 
Maybe the damage isn't permanent and the newt is part way through regenerating the eye?
When I got my first T. verrucosus as larvae, two of them had damaged eyes. It's taken a while, but they have now fully healed with no sign of the injury's.
Interestingly, one of last years larvae got all it's gills bitten off on one side when it was very small and never regenerated them, even though it grew huge before it morphed.
 

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Chinadog, here is a photo of a smaller pool in the marsh. I went back a few weeks ago and there were several Ambystoma gracile egg masses, but i think they may be done breeding now.
 

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