Learn About Spotted Salamanders with Ted Watt- CANCELLED
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| Adult Spotted Salamander |
Update 3/17/2020
Interested in watching the spring salamander migration? There are many vernal pools in Heath that are destinations for the migrating salamanders. We hope to make some suggested locations available soon.
Here are some tips from the Hitchcock Center that they observe each spring for their Big Night.
Big Night occurs each spring when spotted salamanders and wood frogs migrate from their winter woodland habitats to nearby vernal wetlands to breed. During the first warm spring rains, in March or sometimes April, after dark and with a stable temperature of 40 degrees or above amphibians are likely to be moving.
• If you have reflective clothing, please wear it for safety.
• Please do not touch the animals unless they are in danger while on the road. If you do have to help one, please do not carry them in your hands, use a wet leaf. The very best thing to do is find the volunteers whose job will be to have buckets ready for collecting critters on the road.
• Please make sure your flashlights are covered in red cellophane because regular light can impact the migrating creatures. We do have a supply of cellophane so please ask for some.
• Be very careful if you have to cross the road as the vehicles can have difficulty seeing you. DO NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES, CARS WILL NOT BE ASKED TO SLOW DOWN.
• Please be aware of where your children are at all times and make sure they and you know the rules to correctly enjoy the salamander and frog migration. For young children, please accompany them at all times for everyone's safety.
• Please do not touch the animals unless they are in danger while on the road. If you do have to help one, please do not carry them in your hands, use a wet leaf. The very best thing to do is find the volunteers whose job will be to have buckets ready for collecting critters on the road.
• Please make sure your flashlights are covered in red cellophane because regular light can impact the migrating creatures. We do have a supply of cellophane so please ask for some.
• Be very careful if you have to cross the road as the vehicles can have difficulty seeing you. DO NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES, CARS WILL NOT BE ASKED TO SLOW DOWN.
• Please be aware of where your children are at all times and make sure they and you know the rules to correctly enjoy the salamander and frog migration. For young children, please accompany them at all times for everyone's safety.
More information can be found in this Highlights Magazine article.
Below is a page from the book A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools, Lots of good information about the Spotted Salamander. Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading.
= = = Original post below = = =Below is a page from the book A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools, Lots of good information about the Spotted Salamander. Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading.
Come out on an early spring evening to learn more about these amazing amphibians, living in the forests all around us. Ted, a Naturalist with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst, will show images and explain their habitats, life cycle, food, and predators. Come find out more about Salamander Big Night and how you can learn about them for yourselves. We will be presenting a community-wide citizen science project that all can be involved with.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
This indoor program will prepare you to head outside on a rainy evening in the early spring and look for migrating spotted salamanders.
Light desserts will be available.
The program is sponsored by the Heath School Building Use Committee and the Heath Free Public Library.