Monday, October 26, 2015

Can't Stop, Won't Stop! Salamander Migration

The nights may be cooling off, the days growing shorter, but a few good rainfalls and we're still seeing plenty of salamander movement as they move about the forest to locate suitable overwintering sites. 

This Ambystomatid salamander was what I consider to be 'teenager-sized'...a juvenile about 9.5cm in length (adults in this particular location are coming in around 18cm in length on average I believe.

A young Eastern Newt.  In my opinion these are by far the most docile salamanders I come across.  Red-backed are fast, the Ambystomatids are impressively strong and squirmy, but these guys don't seem to be too concerned with escaping danger.

Red-backed Salamanders are plentiful in the Dundas Valley, I carefully flipped a flat stone the size of a dinner plate a couple of weeks back to find 3 Eastern Newt and 14 Red-backed!  I try to limit the flipping of rocks or at least be very careful in their replacement as some stones off the perfect micro-habitat for a species.

The 'leadback' phase of the Red-backed Salamander, just as fiesty!

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