Amphibians

Spotted Salamander

Early in the spring of 2011, informed by New Jersey Audubon Society, I drove at night into Warren County somewhere near Ghost Lake to meet NJ Division Fish & Wildlife biologist Kris Schantz and fellow protectors of spotted and blue spotted salamanders, crossing the road on their mating treks. It doesn't happen everywhere. Only certain places with the right sort of wetland and habitat otherwise, and NJDFW has this all mapped out.

I was interested in writing an article I never got around to doing, and I also had hopes that my son would join the volunteer timber rattlesnake team she supervises after he turned 16, though by now, seven years later, I'm not very clear on what they do. Matt's interests shifted to math, physics, and politics, though he kept on fishing (and even goes by himself or with friends sometimes).

Actually, Matt and I discovered a number of salamander species, including spotted, at Swartswood State Park in 2007, I believe it was; that venture by no specific involvement with or information from NJ Audubon. Summertime. They were under rocks. In rotten wood humus.

I got interested as Matt did, too, but we never got nearly so involved as was possible. Recently, on February 25th, I got a press release notice from Kathleen Sandt of the Delaware Watergap National Recreation Area, informing us that River Road between park headquarters and Hialeah Picnic Area will be closed some nights over the next few weeks so "amphibians" can cross. Those mild (50's) rainy nights. Primarily the amphibians are two, maybe three, salamander species. I think less common Jefferson salamanders, also. But we found some frogs and toads, a few, that night seven years ago.

And then I got a notice about some Park road closures after the recent snowstorm. We had 80 degrees, what was it, three weeks ago?