Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 10
C R E AT U R E F E AT U R E
Salamanders
ON SPRING PARADE
Come early spring at damp, leaf-covered spots in the Southern mountains,
the salamander mating rituals can be spectacular.
By NANCY HENDERSON | Photos by CASEY PHILLIPS/TENNESSEE AQUARIUM
A
few years ago, aquatic conservation biologist
Josh Ennen was doing a show-and-tell at his
son's day care center when a child on the front
row pointed to the salamander poster Ennen
had brought to class and exclaimed, "Look at
all those lizards!"
"Those aren't lizards," Ennen's son proudly
corrected. "Those are salamanders."
Many adults too, are unaware of the distinction between the two critters-one is a reptile, the other, an amphibian-much less the fact that, unlike many animals,
some salamanders choose winter or very early spring as
their time to breed.
"There are a lot of different hypotheses out there
about why," says Ennen, a researcher at the Tennessee
Aquarium Conservation Institute in Chattanooga. "But
the wet part of the year is really important for amphibians in general."
What is widely known among aquatic experts is that
salamanders rely on vernal pools, also called ephemeral
ponds, that fill with water during fall and winter rains.
Because these habitats are temporary-they tend to dry
ABOVE: Masses of salamander eggs are found in vernal pools.
RIGHT: A spotted salamander makes its way over mossy rocks.
FACING PAGE: Dr. Josh Ennen scouts salamander territory with
Southeast Missouri State University researchers.
10
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
up in late spring and summer-they can't sustain permanent populations of fish that like to feed on salamander
offspring. In addition, many mammal predators are still
hibernating in February and early March, or aren't yet
very active, which makes it the perfect time for Blue Ridge
salamanders like the spotted, mole and marbled species
to lay eggs and increase the chance of survival for the
young ones to hatch and grow.
And, Ennen says, "Many of the pond-breeding salamanders' larvae will actually consume other salamander
larvae. So by being the first to arrive, you might get a salamander snack later in the spring."
What happens during courtship fascinates scientists
like Ennen. Each year, the salamanders head en masse to
the same vernal pools, most of which are located in heavily forested areas with a lot of moist leaf litter. There, they
mate and attach their eggs to sticks immersed in the water. "Just imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of spotted
salamanders under the water courting each other," Ennen
says.
These woodland spots are actually "some of the coolest
places to visit with children in school groups because
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 6
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 7
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 8
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 10
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 12
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 14
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 16
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 18
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 20
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 24
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 28
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 36
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 38
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 40
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 44
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 46
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 54
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 58
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 59
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 60
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 64
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 66
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com