Jake
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2006
- Messages
- 1,635
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- Points
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- Location
- Illinois, US
- Country
- United States
- Display Name
- Jacob Bidinger
I recently went herping somewhere in Northwest Pennsylvania with a friend. Despite hot weather we turned up quite a few species in the few days I was there. I was surprised by the numbers of salamanders in the area (that could be because very few species live around me).
The hillsides were covered in flat rocks and fallen branches which were home to a few Plethedon glutinosus.
Near the small spring fed streams at the bottom of the hills were an aboundance of Desmognathus ochrophaeus, Desmognathus fuscus, a few Eurycea bislineata and one Gyrinophilus porphyriticus. The duskies seemed to be under every other stone we flipped, it was pretty intense.
Here is one of the small streams
E.bislineata
G.porphyriticus
Up in the woods where it was drier there were a few more species. The Notophthalmus viridescens (in the eft stage) were on the road and under logs in the forest.
Also hidden on the forest floor were a few Plethedon cinereus.
A treat for the eyes was in an area with an aboundance of efts in the leaf litter and under logs. When I flipped the log and saw this little orange Pseudotriton ruber I didn't think too much of it because we had seen dozens of efts prior to it. Then I moved the mulch that was covering part of it and realized it what it was! I have always wanted to see one in the wild and this was my big chance.
Shortly after finding the P.ruber we both found another one of my favorites, Hemidactylium scutatum
Ambystoma maculatum were lurking in the woods as well.
It was a fun trip and the people I met there were really cool. Never in my life have I seen such a variety of amphibians in the wild.
The hillsides were covered in flat rocks and fallen branches which were home to a few Plethedon glutinosus.
Near the small spring fed streams at the bottom of the hills were an aboundance of Desmognathus ochrophaeus, Desmognathus fuscus, a few Eurycea bislineata and one Gyrinophilus porphyriticus. The duskies seemed to be under every other stone we flipped, it was pretty intense.
Here is one of the small streams
E.bislineata
G.porphyriticus
Up in the woods where it was drier there were a few more species. The Notophthalmus viridescens (in the eft stage) were on the road and under logs in the forest.
Also hidden on the forest floor were a few Plethedon cinereus.
A treat for the eyes was in an area with an aboundance of efts in the leaf litter and under logs. When I flipped the log and saw this little orange Pseudotriton ruber I didn't think too much of it because we had seen dozens of efts prior to it. Then I moved the mulch that was covering part of it and realized it what it was! I have always wanted to see one in the wild and this was my big chance.
Shortly after finding the P.ruber we both found another one of my favorites, Hemidactylium scutatum
Ambystoma maculatum were lurking in the woods as well.
It was a fun trip and the people I met there were really cool. Never in my life have I seen such a variety of amphibians in the wild.