It’s salamander breeding time!
While inspecting beneath a plywood coverboard, Stella Pfau, Ruffner Project Manager, was excited to find a couple of salamanders. We sent the photo to Megan Gibbons, Professor of Biology at BSC and friend of the mountain, and she identified the salamanders for us. “These are Webster's salamanders (Plethodon websteri), and the one in the foreground is regrowing its tail (you can see the transparent nub where there is recent growth).” She also had this special news, “The one with the tail regrowing also appears to be a gravid female, based on her girth. This species is 100% terrestrial, laying eggs underground, with no aquatic larval stage (which we associate with most amphibians).”
Stella found two more salamanders underneath a log. It’s always exciting to find animal habitats and breeding grounds on the mountain.
The pictures of the slimy salamanders were taken last March underneath the same coverboard.
About the plywood coverboards: You may come across the pieces of plywood scattered about in a few places on the mountain. They are not trash, so please do not disturb. We use them to encounter and assess terrestrial amphibians, lizards, and snakes, as well as beetles and bug larvae.
This is also why it is so important not to disturb or stack rocks. They are homes to the creatures of the mountain!
