bewilderbeast
New member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
- Messages
- 190
- Reaction score
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- Location
- Northern California
- Country
- United States
So California just had a record breaking rain system come through... I have been waiting for this since early June when the rains stopped for the dry season... it was an almost surreal experience to find a salamander again...
Because of the rain i had to go out log flipping and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of animal activity. The termites were boiling out of the ground and into the air as they do after the first big rains and the ground was covered, in places, with their wings.
the area I went to is a hot spot for Taricha torosa during the winter and spring. I didn't check the stream beds but stuck to the Oak and Myrtle groves.
My target species were the three Plethadontids which live in the area and in particular I was looking for some adult Aneides lugubris.
Found caudates almost immediately, under the first thing I flipped.
Found a juvenile Aneides lugubris (that had no speckling) underneath a utility cover climbing gecko-style on the concrete, stalking a number of small mole-crickets that were down there. failed to get any photos though. 3 yards away I flipped a log and found a very large female Ensatina e. xanthroptica which I did snap some photos of.
I feel that it's worth noting that both these salamanders were found under objects which I have found Taricha torora under... earlier this year I found 3 newts under the same utility cover and "liberated" them placing them by the log under which I found the ensatina.
I hiked a bit further towards an area with mostly Oak and rocky talus where I have found adult A. lugubris and unearthed another Ensatina, this one a male.
No other A. Lugubris but I did find a very docile Fence lizard who cooperated quite nicely for the camera.
I was surprised to find only a single Batrochoseps, a gravid female... you can see the eggs(large yellow masses) unfortunately this is the best photo I got of her. These are usually all I find when I'm casually flipping stones.
Because of the rain i had to go out log flipping and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of animal activity. The termites were boiling out of the ground and into the air as they do after the first big rains and the ground was covered, in places, with their wings.
the area I went to is a hot spot for Taricha torosa during the winter and spring. I didn't check the stream beds but stuck to the Oak and Myrtle groves.
My target species were the three Plethadontids which live in the area and in particular I was looking for some adult Aneides lugubris.
Found caudates almost immediately, under the first thing I flipped.
Found a juvenile Aneides lugubris (that had no speckling) underneath a utility cover climbing gecko-style on the concrete, stalking a number of small mole-crickets that were down there. failed to get any photos though. 3 yards away I flipped a log and found a very large female Ensatina e. xanthroptica which I did snap some photos of.
I feel that it's worth noting that both these salamanders were found under objects which I have found Taricha torora under... earlier this year I found 3 newts under the same utility cover and "liberated" them placing them by the log under which I found the ensatina.
I hiked a bit further towards an area with mostly Oak and rocky talus where I have found adult A. lugubris and unearthed another Ensatina, this one a male.
No other A. Lugubris but I did find a very docile Fence lizard who cooperated quite nicely for the camera.
I was surprised to find only a single Batrochoseps, a gravid female... you can see the eggs(large yellow masses) unfortunately this is the best photo I got of her. These are usually all I find when I'm casually flipping stones.
