By Mary Parker Sonis
The Big nights are coming. In late January and early February, spring will come early for our spotted salamanders. It will all start with the first warm night rain, where the ambient temperature reaches 50 degrees. Listen for the sound of the chorus frogs in the woods. The distinctive fingers-running-over-the-teeth-of-a-comb call will lead you to your local vernal pond. Grab a flashlight and your rain gear and follow the sound of the frogs. Keep your flashlight to the ground, and be careful where you tread: The spotted salamanders will be crossing roads and trails, and you wouldn’t want to step on one.
First to arrive are the males. They visit the pond to lay down spermatophore. You will see tiny white packets attached to stems of aquatic vegetation. In daylight, it looks like bits of white lint in the water. The salamanders choose vernal or temporary shallow pools because these pools have no fish, providing the larvae with some protection from predation.
The real thrill is seeing these gorgeous amphibians. These mole salamanders only come above ground for about three weeks during the year. They return each year to their natal pond to mate and lay eggs, and then disperse to their underground burrows for the rest of the year. As you pass your flashlight over the water, you will see the undulating movement of the spotted. Boldly patterned yellow spots on a black background make them easy to locate. Occasionally, you will see an individual with a couple of bright-orange spots near the head. These are my personal favorites. Some melanistic individuals have no spots whatsoever, but each animal has its own distinctive pattern.
The excitement begins when the females arrive. The males know when a female is about to enter the water, and suddenly, a group of spread-out males will gather together in a small area and swirl through the water. It is a congress of salamanders. Males will swim in small circles and nudge against each other, and you might see an occasional mild nip between males. They have each put down packets of spermatophore, and it’s the female’s decision about which packet she will pick up to fertilize her eggs. The water is alive with movement, and looks like a dance as these Amphibians gyrate in the shallow pool.
This is the only time of year that you will see the yellow spotted salamander. They have traveled from underground burrows all over the forest to arrive at this ephemeral pond. Some have crossed highways to reach their destination. Hundreds are crushed by cars in their journey –in some communities, volunteers act as crossing guards on the roads to protect this beautiful species.
Here in Carrboro, the Bolin Creek Forest has a number of vernal ponds. During the day, you may see the round baseball-sized clumps of eggs in the shallow pools. Listen for the sound of the chorus frogs on a rainy night, and you may get to witness an extraordinary spring ritual.
Mary Sonis is an amateur naturalist and photographer who lives in Carrboro.
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