Connecticut Audbon Society

Amphibian Adventure

Arguably the best part of Spring is the new life– trees are budding, daffodils have started poking out of the ground, birds are singing, and, of course, there’s the indescribable smell of earth after it rains. 

But there is more happening than we realize. Have you ever driven home on a rainy night and seen small, bright spots on the road in front of you? Or opened your windows overnight in April and heard the spring peepers? Every spring, woodland amphibians migrate from their homes under the leaf litter to nearby lowlands that fill with spring rain. These temporary wetlands are called vernal pools, and they generally only last for a few weeks in March and April. 

Rather than risk the predators found in reservoirs, ponds and streams, many amphibians choose vernal pools for their eggs because they have more of a chance of survival. Without fish to eat the eggs, more of them advance to the larval stage and the adult stage. 

Six out of twelve salamander species in Connecticut are listed under the Connecticut Endangered Species Act, so it’s illegal to remove them from their habitat.

Instead, join the RTPEC in observing them and their egg masses in these vernal pools, and learn more about this delicate, essential habitat.

April 15, 3:00 p.m.
Old Saybrook Town Park

April 29, 3:00 p.m.
Pleasant Valley Preserve, Lyme

To ask questions or register, email agraham@ctaudubon.org

 

 

 

 

 

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