Advice regarding opacum nests

[onetwentysix]

I was just wondering if anyone had any advice as to how to find opacum nests. I've been out multiple times over the past month or so and so far haven't had any luck. I haven't even found any adults since October 12th, which is really weird. There aren't any larvae in the pools, and Petranka's says they generally breed late October/early November in my area (Northern South Carolina), so I know I haven't missed them.

Just frustrated, I guess. I've been looking under leaves and over objects along areas water runs towards the breeding sites, but nothing so far. I'm probably too early (still), but this is driving me nuts, so if anyone has any recommendations, I'd appreciate them. Thanks!

 

[Kaysie]

Look under cover that is in a depression. The depressions fill up in the spring, so the sallies lay their eggs in there.

 

[rust]

They should be nesting now, I usually see quite a few while deer hunting. Try walking a wooded river or large creek bottom that usually floods with the fall rains (if they haven't already). They will be under cover (logs) in the larger depressions. I'm going to go poke around for few in the next day or two, if I see any I'll post some habitat pics.

Check this thread:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51943

 

[onetwentysix]

Thanks for the advice, it's pretty much what I've been doing but a little confirmation never hurts.

I got out the other night; no nests, but I did find a female under a log, which is better than the no opacum I've been finding recently. She was close to where I suspect they lay, so maybe she'll be laying soon. She wasn't huge, but looked like she might still be gravid.

I've been searching around a bunch of pools in a creek bed, and in a depression connected to a small stream/ditch where I've found tons of newts and some old maculatum egg jellies, but nothing so far. I'd suspected that they would sit in the dried up depression and lay there, but it filled up really quickly; disappointing since I'd seen animals sitting in there and moving towards it the day before it filled up, but they'd not laid yet. I'm going to have to try things at another site for once later, I just hope it's not too late, though I haven't found any larvae yet.

Also, could anyone tell me what the heck these things are? Normally I'm really good with invertebrates, but I don't even know what phylum to put these things into.

 

[slowfoot]

It's probably an arrow-headed flatworm (platyhelminthes). Their a non-native species that feeds on earthworms. I find them all the time under logs.

 

[John]

Peter, I have limited experience of this, but from what I've seen, they seem to lay at the edge of bottomland ephemeral pools. I found a nest + female on Thursday, November 27th, 2008, in East Texas. Good luck.

 

[nate]

Also, could anyone tell me what the heck these things are? Normally I'm really good with invertebrates, but I don't even know what phylum to put these things into.

Wow, predatory land planarian. Those things are so cool. I've been to FL several times and never was able to find one.

 

[John]

Wow, predatory land planarian. Those things are so cool. I've been to FL several times and never was able to find one.

They have those (or their cousins) in Ireland too. I believe they came from New Zealand.

 

[nate]

Well, that particular one came from Southeast Asia I believe.

 

[onetwentysix]

There are those planarians all over the place here, Nate. I could send you a bunch if you'd like . Thanks for the ID, Erin. I didn't think we had any native large terrestrial planarians in the US, so the exotic thing covers that pretty well.

Thanks for the report, John, glad to hear they're still around with eggs in some places. I went out a day or two ago, but didn't find anything other than a Desmog. There aren't any larvae in the pools, so I don't believe they've hatched yet, despite all the rain we had. I've checked everywhere and haven't found any animals since that female, so I just have to conclude that they haven't started laying yet though I don't get why they'd be so late; Petranka's said October/November, but this seems crazy late. I'll probably try again in a week or so, I guess.