Memorial day field herping (PA)

[Nathan050793]

This past weekend I was out at my uncle's place in rural Pennsylvania. He has a spring that feeds into a large concrete pond (It was once a farm pond), which provides great herping opportunities for me! I netted several N.viridescens (Including the one pictured which was enormous!), D. fuscus, E. eurycea (not pictured), and one very large bullfrog. All in all it was a fun afternoon!

P.S.
please excuse the poor photography and upside-down pictures, I'm a bad photographer...

The first two pictures are of the same noto and the last one is of the dusky.

 

[John]

Hi Nathan,

Thanks for sharing the photos. What was the weather like there that weekend? Are the newts in the pond all year around?

Best wishes,

-John

 

[Nathan050793]

Thanks for sharing the photos. What was the weather like there that weekend? Are the newts in the pond all year around?

John, the weather was actually very hot, I believe it was 82F that day, however, it was mildly breezy and comfortable. As for the newts being in the pond year round, I'm not sure. I'm really only at the place on holidays or during the summer. I didn't actually find out that there was a population of N.viridescens inhabiting the pond until mid September of this year. I do know they breed in the pond; I found an eft with dried up gill nubs back in the fall. The pond never entirely dries up or freezes solid, so I could believe that the newts are there year round.

 

[John]

I didn't realise they spent quite that much time in the water in such opposite conditions.