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...
Read MoreHappy first day of spring
Happy first day of Spring everyone! I took a walk on the trails here at RTPI in search of some signs of spring and found a bunch of vernal pools that could be used in only a matter of a couple short weeks! This particular ephemeral pool has thawed around its edges, so Jefferson Salamanders and Wood Frogs may soon be on the move to breed and lay their eggs there. Stay tuned as we will keep watch for the mass migration to begin and share pictures of our charismatic spring breeders.
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