Hi Folks,
I wanted to share some photos that I've taken this year and last of some of the herps in our state. I'm doing a lot of studying of these species, as one day I hope to become more involved in their conservation, so I am sharing a little blurb about each one. Hope you all enjoy this thread!
Yellow-spotted salamanders are in the family Ambystomatidae, and the genus Ambystoma (mole salamanders). These obligate vernal pool breeders are rarely seen outside of their breeding season, as they spend much of their lives underground.
A juvenile flipped under a log:
As with all New Jersey salamanders, fertilization is by internal fertilization by an externally placed spermatophore. Males will compete with one another by 'spermatophore capping', ensuring that the later-placed spermatophore will fertilize the female first when she picks it up.
The eggs of this salamander have a symbiotic relationship with the algae Oophilia amblystomatis. The algae benefit from the nitrogenous waste generated by the developing embryo, and the embryo benefits from the oxygen produced by the algae.
Also an Ambystoma, the marbled salamander is an autumnal vernal pool breeder. This salamander may be found guarding eggs in the dried depressions that will fill with rain during the early autumn months.
Red-backed salamanders are the most abundant vertebrate in Eastern forests. In the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders), they are in the genera Plethodon ("many teeth") and are among the only amphibians that do not lay their eggs in water. Their courtship rituals are fascinating, with the male biting the female and placing a disk-shaped gland over the cut to allow pheromones to leach in.
Red-backed salamanders have recently been found to harbor a bacterium which helps to protect it from fungal infections such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd, aka chytrid fungus), a fungal disease that is devastating many amphibian populations.
Chemoreception is a crucial part of their natural history. As such, Plethodontidae have nasolabial grooves (nose to lip) to facilitate communication with pheromones. The males will mark territory with pellets (poop) and the females will mash their noses into the pellet to determine the quality of a male as a mate.
Not all red-backed salamanders have a red back, some can be orange, gold, white, or gray. There is also a leadback (stripeless) phase which gives the redback its species name cinereus ("of ash").
Slimy salamanders: also in the genus Plethodon, these salamanders are more commonly found from Hunterdon county and North. They can also be very common in appropriate habitat. They have similar courtship rituals, and you can see the ritual in the photo below:
The Northern 2-lined salamander is an abundant brookside salamander from Trenton to points North. These salamanders are a major prey item and are an important link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
They will often autotomize their tails when threatened, and they have the ability to run very fast to escape predation. They will lay their eggs communally. Here are a small number of 2-lined salamander eggs with the tadpoles developing inside:
Northern dusky salamanders are unique plethodontid salamanders in the genera Desmognathus. They are palatable to predators, so they rely on pattern variability and the ability to run very fast and even jump to avoid predation. This is one of the only salamanders in NJ which may attempt to bite!
As with most salamanders, duskies will also autotomize their tails. They are a major prey item of the larger spring salamander (Gyrinophilus).
Duskies lay their eggs streamside in late summer, and the female will guard the eggs. My 3 year old was ecstatic to flip this mommy and her eggs:
Red salamanders are beautiful but less commonly found plethodontids. They are considered mimics of the red-spotted newt, which harbors a potent toxin in glands in its skin. In fact the genus name 'Pseudotriton' means "false newt".
As these salamanders age, their spots begin to 'run together' and their skin darkens to an almost purple hue:
Their larvae are also quite pretty:
I wanted to share some photos that I've taken this year and last of some of the herps in our state. I'm doing a lot of studying of these species, as one day I hope to become more involved in their conservation, so I am sharing a little blurb about each one. Hope you all enjoy this thread!
Yellow-spotted salamanders are in the family Ambystomatidae, and the genus Ambystoma (mole salamanders). These obligate vernal pool breeders are rarely seen outside of their breeding season, as they spend much of their lives underground.
A juvenile flipped under a log:
As with all New Jersey salamanders, fertilization is by internal fertilization by an externally placed spermatophore. Males will compete with one another by 'spermatophore capping', ensuring that the later-placed spermatophore will fertilize the female first when she picks it up.
The eggs of this salamander have a symbiotic relationship with the algae Oophilia amblystomatis. The algae benefit from the nitrogenous waste generated by the developing embryo, and the embryo benefits from the oxygen produced by the algae.
Also an Ambystoma, the marbled salamander is an autumnal vernal pool breeder. This salamander may be found guarding eggs in the dried depressions that will fill with rain during the early autumn months.
Red-backed salamanders are the most abundant vertebrate in Eastern forests. In the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders), they are in the genera Plethodon ("many teeth") and are among the only amphibians that do not lay their eggs in water. Their courtship rituals are fascinating, with the male biting the female and placing a disk-shaped gland over the cut to allow pheromones to leach in.
Red-backed salamanders have recently been found to harbor a bacterium which helps to protect it from fungal infections such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd, aka chytrid fungus), a fungal disease that is devastating many amphibian populations.
Chemoreception is a crucial part of their natural history. As such, Plethodontidae have nasolabial grooves (nose to lip) to facilitate communication with pheromones. The males will mark territory with pellets (poop) and the females will mash their noses into the pellet to determine the quality of a male as a mate.
Not all red-backed salamanders have a red back, some can be orange, gold, white, or gray. There is also a leadback (stripeless) phase which gives the redback its species name cinereus ("of ash").
Slimy salamanders: also in the genus Plethodon, these salamanders are more commonly found from Hunterdon county and North. They can also be very common in appropriate habitat. They have similar courtship rituals, and you can see the ritual in the photo below:
The Northern 2-lined salamander is an abundant brookside salamander from Trenton to points North. These salamanders are a major prey item and are an important link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
They will often autotomize their tails when threatened, and they have the ability to run very fast to escape predation. They will lay their eggs communally. Here are a small number of 2-lined salamander eggs with the tadpoles developing inside:
Northern dusky salamanders are unique plethodontid salamanders in the genera Desmognathus. They are palatable to predators, so they rely on pattern variability and the ability to run very fast and even jump to avoid predation. This is one of the only salamanders in NJ which may attempt to bite!
As with most salamanders, duskies will also autotomize their tails. They are a major prey item of the larger spring salamander (Gyrinophilus).
Duskies lay their eggs streamside in late summer, and the female will guard the eggs. My 3 year old was ecstatic to flip this mommy and her eggs:
Red salamanders are beautiful but less commonly found plethodontids. They are considered mimics of the red-spotted newt, which harbors a potent toxin in glands in its skin. In fact the genus name 'Pseudotriton' means "false newt".
As these salamanders age, their spots begin to 'run together' and their skin darkens to an almost purple hue:
Their larvae are also quite pretty:
