jaster
New member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2009
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 3
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- Location
- Boone, North Carolina
- Country
- United States
Even though the weather got into the mid 50s today, we just had a decent snowy system come through all last week. Still had to get out and walk around, do something outside. Went to my favorite creek, water was COLD and it took a while to find anything. Flipped on large Desmognathus which slowly disappeared in the gravel bed... A few other tail sightings happened, needed to warm my hands, I was getting clumsy.
Finally got to a nice pool and uncovered this guy, a larval Gyrinophilus porphyriticus.
I knew what it was once I saw it swim away. This pool was bordered by a boulder that stuck out over the water, and this little guy started swimming under it :roll: Had to lay on my stomach and fully extend to get close, finally scooping it up. I tried to take a better shot in a shallow part, but it did not comply..
After that, a few other Desmognathus turned up, this one close to metamorphosis.
I really need to spend more times to get one decent shot... I'm calling this one D. marmoratus because of the white gills (you can barely see in the first photo).
I also went to check out a (once) sweet pond that I had looked at back in November. The heartbreak of it being choked with weeds, muck and algae really set in seeing it in the day light.
The deepest I could see in the water was only a few inches, yet there were still several spotted salamander eggmasses mixed in there. Made me feel a bit better. Hopefully the newts will show up when it gets warm again. For reference, here's the pond from the opposite bank, three years ago.
Still muddy and had some weeds in the back end, but also a nice, open ~2 ft deep pond.
Until next time!
Finally got to a nice pool and uncovered this guy, a larval Gyrinophilus porphyriticus.
I knew what it was once I saw it swim away. This pool was bordered by a boulder that stuck out over the water, and this little guy started swimming under it :roll: Had to lay on my stomach and fully extend to get close, finally scooping it up. I tried to take a better shot in a shallow part, but it did not comply..
After that, a few other Desmognathus turned up, this one close to metamorphosis.
I really need to spend more times to get one decent shot... I'm calling this one D. marmoratus because of the white gills (you can barely see in the first photo).
I also went to check out a (once) sweet pond that I had looked at back in November. The heartbreak of it being choked with weeds, muck and algae really set in seeing it in the day light.
The deepest I could see in the water was only a few inches, yet there were still several spotted salamander eggmasses mixed in there. Made me feel a bit better. Hopefully the newts will show up when it gets warm again. For reference, here's the pond from the opposite bank, three years ago.
Still muddy and had some weeds in the back end, but also a nice, open ~2 ft deep pond.
Until next time!
