Fall Salamander Migrations, any advice?

[Nowicki418]

Its coming to the end of August and, depending on where you live, soon the fall migrations will begin. For most herptofauna this means a journey to the places they will use for hibernation or brumation if you'd rather call it that. However, there are some species and/or individuals that journey to the breeding ponds and lay eggs where larva will stay dormant untill the following spring.

Has anyone ever seen this happen? Are some species more likely to breed in the fall than others? Any advice on how field herping can yield some breeders this time of year? I wouldn't expect fall migrations to be anything close to the massive salamander migrations in the spring. But its still interesting isn't it?

 

[FrogEyes]

I've found Couer D'Alene salamanders to be VERY surface active, just above freezing in the middle of the night in October. As many as seven at a time moving over mossy seepages/waterfalls. It's rather remarkable to see so many more so easily at that time of year. On the other hand, I've seen hundreds of inch-long Dunn's salamanders in mid July when many creeks are dry at the surface. Ditto for transforming Pacific giants.

 

[Nowicki418]

Both of those salamanders are in Plethodon. I think I remember reading something about lungless salamanders breeding in the fall and the family does have some unique breeding practices. The question is if fall breeding is intentional or accidental and how can we sort out those on their way to the hibernating sites and those searching for a mate.

Where I live we had a terrible spring. Warm and cold weather changed back and forth until late May so most of the Herp migrations got broken up. A nearby nature center does a program which takes people out to see the salamanders and this year it was canceled. Fall is kind of a second chance for me and I'm drawing the majority of my field herping attention back to salamanders. At my house I've only ever found Ambystoma so this upcomming month I want to make a night trip to a better salamander location that I know of. Trying to get as much information as possible to decide which habitat and what night I will go.

 

[Nowicki418]

I was doing some research on this online and a google search brought up this thread that I posted a week ago. Maybe a new post will revive it a bit.

Many of the herptofauna are found in different environments at different times of the year. A basic pattern would be a trip from the hibernating site-breeding site-living site and back to the hibernating site. Are there any species that may be easier to find in the fall than spring/summer? Any odd behaviors that make set this time of year appart from the others? I've seen the huge difference for many snakes and frogs, it must be big for the caudates too!

Most importanly is there a pattern to fall breeding?