Salamander Spas
While spring rain turns our yards into soggy messes, it also brings vital habitat changes for salamanders. As the weather warms up and rains increase, shallow ponds begin to form in the depressions of the forest floor. Since these pools disappear in the summer months they are called “vernal pools” (vernal meaning spring). Because they are temporary, these ponds rarely host any predators. This makes them an ideal place for salamanders to breed and leave their vulnerable eggs to mature. Sadly, as forests are impacted by development and other land uses, the number of vernal pools available for salamanders is decreasing.
Viewer Tip: If you’re out driving on a warm, rainy spring evening, be sure to keep an eye out for salamanders! Since salamanders make a short migration from the forest to these welcoming breeding pools, they often cross our roads and risk being run over by cars. They’re hard to spot, but it’s well worth the effort to see these beautiful amphibians.
Season: Spring
This information is provided by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Learn more at www.ptmsc.org.
(Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types/vernal.html; Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/vernal-pools-and-salamanders.asp)
