EVERY MOMENT COUNTS

During the evening of the first spring rains spotted salamanders emerge to mate in vernal pools, making them the most vulnerable during their lives. Spotted salamanders are usually unseen, burrowing beneath rotted logs and leaf litter. They are large as far as salamanders go, yet have a certain beauty, almost black with yellow spots.

Spotted, blue-spotted and Jefferson salamanders and wood frogs emerge from hibernation on rainy nights in early spring, usually March or April, when the ground is thawed and air temperatures reach 40ºF. (Marbled salamanders breed in the fall.) When conditions are right, there are often hundreds, if not thousands, of amphibians on the move; amongst nature enthusiasts, these spring migration events are often referred to as “Big Nights.”

They are an indicator species. If you find one by a stream or pond, you can be sure that the body of water is clean and pure. Amphibians also play a pivotal role in the ecosystem as secondary consumers in many food chains, according to the Indian Institute of Science. “Tadpoles, for example, have significant impact in nutritional cycling. They are herbivorous to omnivorous and are the prey items for both invertebrates and vertebrates. Adult amphibians are the best biological pest controllers, too.”

Unfortunately, with more deforestation, habitat destruction, and development their numbers are decreasing.

– Marty Kupersmith