Every spring, several nights out of the year, something amazing happens. On the first warm rainy nights, several species of amphibians migrate en masse from their upland hibernation grounds, to their lowland breeding grounds--in specialized fish-free ponds called vernal pools. The night varies depending on what part of the state, and the associated weather,, but the result is often the same . . . hundreds and hundreds of frogs and salamanders virtually carpeting the ground in their tireless pursuit to pass on their genes.
As with all things in nature, the presence of humans and the strain our development places on the environment takes its toll in often terrible ways. In many many places the hibernation grounds and the vernal pools of these animals are cut into two separate territories by a road. When combining a mass amphibian migration with an increasing amount of road traffic---what often occurs on nights like these is a slaughter---with a possible 50-100% casualty rate of all animals crossing these roads.
NJ's Endangered and Nongame Species Program has for the past few years been organizing a survey with a dual purpose---to reduce the casualty rate at certain roads and to record scientific data at others . . . with the eventual hope of building underpasses or organizing road closings to protect these valuable (and increasingly rare) indicator species.
The weather conditions this year have prevented any organized gathering of ENSP to monitor this migration, but this program will go on and eventually reach through all parts of the state.
If anyone has information about a possible migration site in the pines . . . if you've ever noticed lots of frogs and/or salamanders crossing a road somewhere here in the pines, please report what you've seen to the Endangered and Nongame Species Program http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensphome.htm
Also, they're in desperate need of volunteer help (as they get no actual state funding) for this program and others like it. I implore any animal lovers to give this a chance---its rewarding in many ways.
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Despite the fact that the show did not go on, I managed to do some exploring while in the sample area and found some really incredible amphibian activity. Here are some photos: http://www.njpinebarrens.com/module...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php
Please consider joining . . . and thanks for reading this long post.
ENJOY!
-Bob
As with all things in nature, the presence of humans and the strain our development places on the environment takes its toll in often terrible ways. In many many places the hibernation grounds and the vernal pools of these animals are cut into two separate territories by a road. When combining a mass amphibian migration with an increasing amount of road traffic---what often occurs on nights like these is a slaughter---with a possible 50-100% casualty rate of all animals crossing these roads.
NJ's Endangered and Nongame Species Program has for the past few years been organizing a survey with a dual purpose---to reduce the casualty rate at certain roads and to record scientific data at others . . . with the eventual hope of building underpasses or organizing road closings to protect these valuable (and increasingly rare) indicator species.
The weather conditions this year have prevented any organized gathering of ENSP to monitor this migration, but this program will go on and eventually reach through all parts of the state.
If anyone has information about a possible migration site in the pines . . . if you've ever noticed lots of frogs and/or salamanders crossing a road somewhere here in the pines, please report what you've seen to the Endangered and Nongame Species Program http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensphome.htm
Also, they're in desperate need of volunteer help (as they get no actual state funding) for this program and others like it. I implore any animal lovers to give this a chance---its rewarding in many ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite the fact that the show did not go on, I managed to do some exploring while in the sample area and found some really incredible amphibian activity. Here are some photos: http://www.njpinebarrens.com/module...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php
Please consider joining . . . and thanks for reading this long post.
ENJOY!
-Bob