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Posts Tagged "Spotted Salamanders"

Underwater World

Posted on Apr 15, 2015

Underwater World

While these little white puffs may look like little air pockets escaping from underwater volcanoes they are actually little spermatophores, or sperm packets produced by male spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), scattered across a vernal pool floor. As females arrive and enter ephemeral pools (sometimes up to a week after the males), males go into a frenzy. Typically the ratio of males to females in the pools is very skewed, with many males to every one female. This fuels some pretty intense male to male competition and very interesting sexual selection. Males surround females and nudge...

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Salamander Eggs

Posted on Apr 29, 2014

Salamander Eggs

Last week we took our Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles students out into the field to see if we could find some active local amphibians. As we meandered from RTPI over to the 100 acre lot at JCC, we came across a very productive vernal pool with several spotted salamander egg masses that looked to be at least a few days old. It won’t be long before they begin to hatch, and with the rains soon to come it will keep the water levels up in the pools, giving the tadpoles a chance to develop and move out. On our walk, students came across a number of Red backed salamanders (Plethodon...

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