David and I met up at 9:30 this morning to walk the woodlot and survey some more pools. We trekked the varied upland terrain and found a couple of pools along the power lines. These two pools were fairly deep and could be a good habitat for turtles, though none seem to be as keen on the trek out as David and I. We quickly found spotted salamander egg masses, red-spotted newts, a ton of newly-hatched wood frog tadpoles, and more fairy shrimp (photographs of these little .5-1.5" critters to come!).
Continuing on into the woods we found a couple more pools following a logging trail. David and I will be coming back to these pools with nets to get a better idea of who is using them. The trail led us to an extraordinary little marsh covered in rich green sphagnum moss.
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Vernal pools and other wetland with mounds of sphagnum moss
are the ideal habitat for four-toed salamander nests |
David thought that this little marsh could potentially be inhabited by the four-toed salamander, a species of special concern. These salamanders lay 20-40 singular eggs in nests constructed in clumps of sphagnum moss overhanging the water and generally stays with the clutch until hatching. Sure enough after a little poking around in the moss, David uncovered a beautiful female protecting her clutch. It is believed that mating takes place in the late summer and early fall with the female picking up deposited sperm packets. About this time of year, after hibernation, the female migrates to a pool to lay her eggs.
The vastness and diversity of my forest doesn't surprise me, but I am finding that one could spend years studying this 36-acre piece of land. With only two more weeks, I will only be scratching the surface of this incredible part of my home.
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