Latest Project

I believe the Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum) to be one of most intriguing salamanders of Ohio. First of all, it is a beautiful animal; just click the link above to see for yourself. (That is a really neat site, by the way; most if not all the photos there were taken by fellow named Jason Folt.) Additionally, their life history is somewhat different from that of most other Mole (Ambystoma sp.) salamanders such as the Tiger (Ambystoma tigrinum) or Blue-spotted (Ambystoma laterale).

While these latter make their way to the breeding ponds in early Spring when they are usually quite swelled with February snow-melt and March rains, the Marbled Salamander arrives at its ponds in Autumn, when they are no more than empty depressions that have been dry since Summer. They then lay their eggs– not too near the bottom (so they don’t hatch at the first rain then dry out if no further rain arrives), and not too near the top (to avoid being just above the water line if it never rains enough to fill the pool that high)– then wait there with them until the rain does arrive. Because of this behavior that is curiously divergent from that of like genera, it is very difficult to sample vernal pools for this particular Ambystomatid species in the typical way– using partially-submerged minnow-trap-like-thingys around the perimiter of the pond in early Spring. Marbled Salamander adults are months gone by then.

So, in order to sample a pond for opacum effectively, you really need to dip-net said pond in spring and early summer, then check out the larvae that you find. The dip-netting part is not too hard– I have had good success two years running now at a pond in a Hancock County, OH woods that has, historically, held Marbled Salamanders. It is the checking out larvae that I have a bit of trouble with. First off, they are kind of small and look pretty fragile. It seems that belly and throat pigmentation are key to discriminating between the different species, and these little guys just don’t want to lie on their backs while I get a good enough look. I always feel like if I hold them in place long enough to see what I need to see, I am going to break a tiny leg, tear of a gill, or just plain crush them.

Therefore, the former snake room in my basement now houses a new project.

Yes, folks, we’re growing baby salamanders.

Let me explain what you are seeing here. Each larva now lives in it’s own little tupperware container. This makes it easier for me to keep track of how much each one eats (presently I feed them dried bloodworms one by one by hand and forceps), and keeps them from eating each other’s gills off. I collected these larvae on Saturday and, until tonight, I had them all in one larger plastic tub. As of last night a couple of the little guys were already missing gills. This arrangement also allows me to track individual progress as they mature.

My hope is that one or more of these little guys grows up to be the striking creature you saw if you followed the link at the top to the photo. Admittedly, the chances at this are not great. The woods in which these were found is now much smaller than it was when the records were vouchered back in the 1960s, and the habitat is somewhat altered, so opacum may no longer persist there. Even if I don’t get what I am after here, I will still end up with interesting animals. Smallmouth Salamanders (Ambystoma texanum), perhaps, or one of the several hybrids involving the Jeffersons (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) and Blue-spotted species.

OK, it’s not a puppy, but who could say no to this cute little face?