Field-newting

[s.t.]

When I was a little girl I used to find massive numbers of Eastern Newt efts at my grandmother's house in a neighboring state. There were so many I thought we were having a plague! Now that I'm older I really want to find some where I live (and they are supposed to be native to my area). The problem is.....I CAN'T FIND ANY!!!! They are supposed to be here, but the sneaky little things are eluding me like I was the ebola virus! Can anyone offer advice? What month is the best month to find them in Northern Virginia? Would I more likely find them near a small pond, stream, in the woods away from water? Do the adults lay eggs near the edge of a pond or in the middle? On another note, I'm kind of afraid when looking for efts under logs that I'll find a snake instead!

 

[david]

S. T. My experience is in Northern Michigan, but we find them in the spring and the fall during heavy rains. We go out at dusk when it is raining, one guy in the car one with a flashlight, and a net. We find many amphibians this way. We let most of them go after the kids have watched them for a while, but I have kept a few efts through the years and they have done great. Have fun, we always do.