Three Pseudotriton larvae were dipnetted from a floodplain pool. The animal in the middle is #5. I'm quite certain that all three are the same species.
Three Pseudotriton larvae were dipnetted from a floodplain pool.
The animal in the middle is #5. I'm quite certain that all three
are the same species.
Larva #5.
A closer look at #5.
The habitat where the above larvae found. It is a secondary stream
channel in a ravine, filled with about two feet of water.
It is adjacent to a north-facing cliff and
under a bunch of hemlock trees. A very cool and shady situation.
When the salamanders are resting, their gills are the
same beige color as their bodies. With increased activity, they
take on a red color as shown above, presumably due to greater oxygen demands.
The red gill coloration was observed when the larvae were feeding
or when they were disturbed for other purposes,
such as photography.
Transformation is underway.
Transformation is nearly complete.
Pseudotriton montanus!