Awesome critter and great find on the part of the students! Glad you released it somewhere safe.
Ambystoma gracile on the Playground
- Thread starter Dan F
- Start date
Dan Feller;3896682; said:The kids came to get me at lunch recess, telling me they had found a salamander. I expected to see yet another Rough-Skinned Newt (they're extremely common around here) but instead found this beautiful male Northwestern Mole Salamander.
After a few photos I released him away from the school yard.
Stunning specimen. Whats the temp like there now?
Would have thought not till late March would they start coming out to breed.
Dan Feller;3905023; said:
Yes it is a stunner . I used to find small ones in Long Island as a kid but much warmer temps than that .
I do know they start coming out in some areas with ice still in ponds I just never saw them in my area so cold and the rare big one's I found had scars,missing tail pieces,etc your find was perfect.
Finally got outdoors this weekend. The Ambystoma have been at it! Lots and lots of A. maculatum and A. talpoideum egg masses, and a few adults of each still hanging out. There hasn't been any rain; I assume they are responding to snowmelt. Most of the ponds I was in were still partially iced over.
Noto;3908512; said:
Tenn/KY have some outstanding salamanders .Nice diversity of sally types.
Didn't think they mated so early in the yr.
Most Ambystoma are cold-weather breeders, except for the Mexican lake species which pretty much breed year-round. A lot of my local fully aquatic salamanders such as lesser sirens and adult eastern newts are also quite active at this time of year.
The terrestrial and streamside lungless salamanders, on the other hand, hide away in burrows and rock crevices while the temp is so low; they prefer temps in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. You can still find some overwintering Eurycea and Pseudotriton larvae in the creeks though.
The terrestrial and streamside lungless salamanders, on the other hand, hide away in burrows and rock crevices while the temp is so low; they prefer temps in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. You can still find some overwintering Eurycea and Pseudotriton larvae in the creeks though.
Louie;3909194; said:
Yeah, we've definitely been blessed with sallies down here. There's a reason for the early breeding of the Ambystoma: they are breeding in woodland pools for the most part, which are most productive in the early part of the year before the trees leaf out and block the sunshine, and are prone to drying up in the summer. So, the larvae need to grow and get out ASAP.
Early hatching gives the larvae a chance to grow before the garter snakes become active, and makes sure they are present for the first waves of frog and insect egg deposition so they can chow down on the eggs and hatchlings. The different Ambystoma species are also in competition with one another; the ones who can get their eggs in the pond first will give their larvae a competitive advantage over the others; however, the earlier the eggs are laid, the more at risk they are to being killed in a hard freeze, and the more difficult it is for the adults to make the breeding migration.
A. opacum actually lay their eggs above the current water level in late fall and stay with them until the water level rises up to them; so (if they aren't killed by a freeze) their larvae are already big enough to prey on the other species' larvae when they come in the late winter or early spring.
A. tigrinum, on the other hand, lay their eggs relatively late and rely on their larvae's big mouths, aggressive attitude, and very high growth rate to get them ahead of the others.
Some populations of various species include gilled adults who stay in the pond year-round. These are able to breed earlier than the terrestrial adults, as they don't have to migrate. So, their larvae get a head start, but then they have to compete with the adults. It's a trade-off. Also, it obviously only works in permanent ponds.
They're a fascinating group to look at for breeding strategies and competition.
