Jefferson or hybrid mole salamander. 

First salamander of the 2016 migratin season!

first frog of 2016!

saw this gravid female on Snowville Road .

A good all day soak is sure to trigger a start to this springs migration! In general, the first wave is when mole salamanders, spring peepers, wood frogs and chorus frogs make their move to the vernal pools to get the party started. Jefferson salamanders usually lead the pack with Spotted salamanders following. The cold temps are not a deterrent for these early migratory species because the have strategies to counter the threat of ice and snow. The salamanders will simply burrow into the leaf litter, ground or under logs. The frogs have a similar game plan, but the first 3 species all have a tolerance to freezing! Their liver creates a chemical that displaces water in the major organ and muscle tissue areas, thus offsetting the damage that would kill them from ice crystal formation. Wood frogs can be frozen solid like a rock! Of course it will all come to a screeching halt when it all turns to 3-6 inches of snow overnight! The struggle is real. 

I visited a pond in Hinkley this evening, it was 35 degrees with a full moon. My experience has shown that when there is a full moon, any frogs that are calling, will be quite a bit more timid. I believe it is because any movement above them is more visible then when there are clouds breaking up a possible predators outline.  While I didn’t spot any salamanders or early spring frogs, I did see some Fairy Shrimp. These 1/2 inch long invertebrates  spend their time swimming around upside down eating algae and plankton. I’m sure they will be a welcome meal for the salamanders once a good rain triggers  the spring migration.

I went down to Canal way off 49th and the the ice has melted around the pond edge, but it is still substantial around the more open body of water. No sign of any amphibian movement there. The promise of rain and warm days made me hopeful I would see some sign of spring! Although a line of showers will come overnight, I think it isn’t going to do anything because temps now look like the are going to fall to just above freezing again. Hinckley did not show any signs either. There is a dismal amount of water in the pond I like to observe, and although the ice has also melted at the pond edge, there is a substantial amount in the center. This pond has a lot of surrounding and overhead cover which will slow the melt. The surrounding forest floor has thawed, but the tree shown in the photo is usually surrounded by a good 5 foot diameter of water, this year I can walk right up to it. On a positive note, I did see some leaves skipping about!