Salamander Search

We signed up for a Salamander Search class at the end of March. Unfortunately, our nature center canceled the event due to a naturalist being sick, but we decided to head out anyway and try our luck finding the little critters. Before leaving we looked through our Amphibians of Ohio book and read up about them. We learned about the endangered ones, the lungless, the mole salamanders, and the mudpuppies and waterdogs. We also visited the Ohio Salamander Web, part of OhioAmphibians.com, and looked at photos and read more on where to look for the little buggers.

Unforunately we weren't finding any vernal pools. We'd have to wait until it rained a bit more. But we looked around anyway. The girls had fun looking under logs and found some other things lurking around in the damp darkness. They found millipedes, centipedes, fungi, and worms. We also heard and saw woodpeckers, cardinals, chickadees, and coopers hawks soaring above.

Georgia is showing Olivia a worm she found.

and I thought this was pretty, found under a log.

Now that it's the beginning of April we have been getting a lot of rain. We'll have to go searching the vernal pools that are sure to be full of life about now.