Spotted salamanders are "mole" salamanders - they spend most of their lives burrowed under the ground. We thought we might see some of them as there was a recent thunderstorm and the noise and vibration of the thunder alerts them that there is water above the surface of the ground. They need the ground to be wet so they can make their trek along the ground to their vernal pools.
We visited several vernal pools. We didn't see any salamanders but we did see evidence on submerged dead leaves that the males had been there. In a few weeks, the females should visit and use the spermataphora left by the males to fertilize their eggs.
Seth checking the depth gauge to one of the vernal pools.
Looking for spermataphora on the leaves
Looking under a snake board. A board is placed on the ground deliberately. First, insects take up residence under the board. Then mice come to eat the insects. Then snakes, after about 6 months, come eat the mice.
We learned to place a coin by animal tracks, etc. so we can later maintain a sense of scale when looking at our pictures.
Evidence of leaf miners which burrow under the surface of the leaves.
Many of us journal, take pictures, etc of what we find on our nature hikes. Christy is holding a gall. I'd never heard of one unless it was associated with being cheeky or a bladder! This kind of gall is an abnormal outgrowth of plant tissue due to fungi, bacteria, insects, mites...hey, on second thought, maybe you ought to put that down now Christy! Once we learned what these were, we saw several on bushes and trees during our hike.
Our leader found some frog spawn. Faith found some frog spawn in a different vernal pool a few minutes later and thus began a family tadpole project!
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