Spring herping (Breeding Amphibians)

[slygecko]

Been herping several times already in the past couple weeks, to some local ponds where Ambystoma species migrate out of the woods to vernal pools to spawn. Also all the local frogs converge and do their best to deafen us. Well, here's some pics:

Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Jefferson's Salamander)
Out so early they had to cross some expanses of snow to get to the pools

This one had a tumor growth:

Snorkeling


This one had a lot of blue speckles on the side. I suspect it may have some Blue-sided Salamander (A. laterale) genes mixed in, but it could be within the range of 'pure' Jeffs. Much of NY is a zone of hybridization between the two species (indeed, most of the northeast and southern Ontario is), but here on the Alleghany Plateau it seems to be most or all pure jeffs.


Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander)



Both Ambystoma:


Ambystoma eggs:

[slygecko]

Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog)



Eggs:


Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper)
Can you see it?

Some vegetation moved aside:


Thats all for now, I'll post more as the season progresses.

Cheers,
Nick

[DDReptiles]

Really cool salamanders

I am plannignto go to the smokies there in 2 weeks to go herping, so should find lots of salamanders as well. Maybe with a bit of luck a hellbender

[slygecko]

Really cool salamanders

I am plannignto go to the smokies there in 2 weeks to go herping, so should find lots of salamanders as well. Maybe with a bit of luck a hellbender

Sweet, I have some friends who were down there over spring break. They had Jordans, Southern Two-lined, Blue Ridge Spring, and some Duskys if I recall correctly. Better plan on spending a lot of time swimming in cold creeks if you want a 'bender.

[KevinS]

Sweet, I have some friends who were down there over spring break. They had Jordans, Southern Two-lined, Blue Ridge Spring, and some Duskys if I recall correctly. Better plan on spending a lot of time swimming in cold creeks if you want a 'bender.

Cool pics Nick. We might have Jordans in one small corner of the state which I considered investigating for my thesis at one time. I'd really like to see one, but probably won't get the chance. See if you can't find a Yonahlosee salamander in the Smokies Derek, I think they're really cool. Here are a few amphibians we've had out here lately.
Eurycea longicauda:

Desmognathus fuscus:

Plethodon richmondi:

Pseudacris brachyphona:

I've also seen a lot of Eurycea cirrigera, but don't have any pics of them online now.

[slygecko]

Awesome pics Kevin. Longicauda is the most-wanted herp on my hit list for this summer, I hope to track some down here in NY. They are amazing.

Cheers,
Nick

[KevinS]

Awesome pics Kevin. Longicauda is the most-wanted herp on my hit list for this summer, I hope to track some down here in NY. They are amazing.

Cheers,
Nick

You know, I always seem to find longicauda by accident while looking for other things. If you told me to go find some now, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to. If it helps, all the individuals that I've found here were in fairly dry areas. In fact, the first one I ever found was under a stepping stone in a lava rock area at my cousin's house. Besides being super dry, it was at least 100 yards away from the nearest place you would ever hope to find any salamanders so I'm not sure what it was doing there. Aneides aenus and Eurycea lucifuga are the species I'd like to track down most. Hopefully I'll find some this year.

[slygecko]

You know, I always seem to find longicauda by accident while looking for other things. If you told me to go find some now, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to. If it helps, all the individuals that I've found here were in fairly dry areas. In fact, the first one I ever found was under a stepping stone in a lava rock area at my cousin's house. Besides being super dry, it was at least 100 yards away from the nearest place you would ever hope to find any salamanders so I'm not sure what it was doing there. Aneides aenus and Eurycea lucifuga are the species I'd like to track down most. Hopefully I'll find some this year.

Wow, that's completely the opposite of what I was expecting for longicauda. I've got an (old, but worth checking) tip for an area to find them in a local gorge near waterfalls. Hardly dry I think the field guide (Peterson) suggests wet, rocky areas too. I'll have to dig into some other sources, then get out in the field. Good luck on the Aneides - post pics when you find some

Cheers,
Nick

[KevinS]

Wow, that's completely the opposite of what I was expecting for longicauda. I've got an (old, but worth checking) tip for an area to find them in a local gorge near waterfalls. Hardly dry I think the field guide (Peterson) suggests wet, rocky areas too. I'll have to dig into some other sources, then get out in the field. Good luck on the Aneides - post pics when you find some

Cheers,
Nick

I'm sure you'd have better luck looking for them in moist areas. That's why I'm always so surprised when I find a longicauda-the few times I've turned them up they've been in odd places. However, I've spent an awful lot of time in and around streams the last few years for research grants and helping other guys with their projects and I have only found one near a stream. If I was going to try to find some, I'd probably check a wooded hillside under rocks and logs after a rain. I'm not saying they can't be found near streams, but it seems like there aren't many near the streams here for whatever reason. Come to think of it, P. glutinosus seems to follow the same pattern in this area, I usually find them well away from water rather than around streams.

[slygecko]

Thanks for the tips, I'll sure we'll be seeing each other's results as the season goes on.

~ Nick