Spring 2007
Here are some amphibian and reptile photos from February through late May
of 2007. They are all from southeast Ohio, except for a few from Florida,
which are clearly indicated.
![](jason_24feb07b.jpg)
Jason and I tried some February ice herping. We weren't able to
turn up anything here. About a month later, I did find some Marbled
Salamander larvae at this spot.
So I guess you can conclude we gave up too easily.
![](pickerel_01mar07b.jpg)
Early March roadcruising in the rain yielded many amphibians,
including this Pickerel Frog.
![](habitat_10mar07_1b.jpg)
Dipnetting this pool proved productive for Marbled Salamander larvae.
![](marbled_10mar07_5b.jpg)
Marbled Salamander larvae.
![](marbled_10mar07_6b.jpg)
A closer look at one of them.
![](woodfrog_11mar07_1b.jpg)
Amplectant Wood Frogs.
![](bullfrog_13mar07b.jpg)
I did a lot of dipnetting this spring. This Bullfrog was one of the finds.
In mid March, we took a spring break trip to Florida, mostly to
visit family. We did do a little hiking. This was interesting:
![](bird-snake_18mar07_1b.jpg)
A young White Ibis eating a Southern Watersnake.
![](bird-snake_18mar07_2b.jpg)
I took several photos...
![](bird-snake_18mar07_3b.jpg)
Poor snake.
![](bird-snake_18mar07_4b.jpg)
Bottoms up...
![](turtle_19mar07b.jpg)
Peninsula Cooter (Pseudemys peninsularia).
![](ringneck_19mar07_1b.jpg)
Ringneck.
![](ringneck_19mar07_2b.jpg)
Another shot. The flowers are over exposed, but the photo shows the
belly spotting that is characteristic of the southern subspecies.
![](tantilla_21mar07_1b.jpg)
Coastal Dunes Crowned Snake (Tantilla relicta pamlica).
That's it for Florida. Back to southeast Ohio.
![](brachyphona_24mar07_2b.jpg)
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona).
After years of frustration, I finally managed to photograph one.
I'd heard them calling many times previously, but never managed to track
one down.
![](greenfrog_24mar07b.jpg)
A Green Frog found by dipnetting.
![](flowers_30mar07b.jpg)
Daffodils are often all that remains of old homesteads around here.
It's interesting to speculate about the history of these places.
![](eurycea_30mar07_2b.jpg)
A Twolined Salamander larva.
![](springsal_31mar07_5b.jpg)
A very large Spring Salamander larva.
![](springsal_31mar07_3b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](fourtoed_01apr07_1b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander.
![](fourtoed_01apr07_5b.jpg)
Another look.
![](slimy_01apr07_1b.jpg)
Slimy Salamander.
![](larva_01apr07_1b.jpg)
There was a particular spot that I worked real hard with the dipnet.
This was the only salamander I found, a hatchling Pseudotriton.
At the time I was not sure what species it was, but now (2011) I am certain
that it is a montanus.
![](larva_01apr07_4b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](ruber_01apr07_1b.jpg)
A nice Red Salamander.
![](hyperspace_01apr07b.jpg)
Tripod shot gone bad. Same animal as above. I think it's
making the jump into hyperspace...
![](ambystoma_03apr07b.jpg)
A recently-hatched Ambystoma.
![](brachyphona_03apr07_1b.jpg)
Mountain Chorus Frog (found by Joe).
![](brachyphona_03apr07_2b.jpg)
Another shot.
![](larva_03apr07_6b.jpg)
Large Mud Salamander larva.
![](larva_03apr07_7b.jpg)
Another look.
![](montanus_03apr07_2b.jpg)
An adult Mud Salamander. This animal was rather darkly colored.
It is presumably an old adult.
![](montanus_03apr07_3b.jpg)
Same animal as above.
![](montanus_03apr07_4b.jpg)
Mud Salamander.
![](montanus_03apr07_5b.jpg)
Another shot of the same animal.
![](creekchub_11apr07b.jpg)
Creek Chub.
![](duskysal_12apr07_1b.jpg)
Northern Dusky Salamander larva.
![](dace_22apr07b.jpg)
Southern Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus erythrogaster).
![](habitat_22apr07_1b.jpg)
Some nice aquatic habitat.
![](fourtoed_22apr07_3b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander, found in the above habitat.
![](habitat_22apr07_2b.jpg)
This pool looked good for Pseudotriton. However, extensive
dipnetting yielded nothing. The moss-covered banks of the
pool were filled with Fourtoed Salamander eggs (see below).
![](fourtoed_22apr07_5b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander eggs found above.
![](boxturt_24apr07_2b.jpg)
Box Turtle.
![](habitat_24apr07_3b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander nesting habitat.
![](fourtoed_24apr07_1b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander found in the above habitat.
![](bullfrog_24apr07b.jpg)
Bullfrog dipnetted from the above habitat.
![](habitat_24apr07_5b.jpg)
More Fourtoed Salamander nesting habitat.
![](habitat_24apr07_6b.jpg)
Some very productive habitat. The pool to the right of the creek
is spring fed.
![](fourtoed_24apr07_7b.jpg)
Fourtoed salamander found nesting under moss at the edge of the
above pool.
![](pseudotriton_24apr07_1b.jpg)
Pseudotritons dipnetted from the above pool.
![](pseudotriton_24apr07_2b.jpg)
A closer look at one of them.
![](pseudotriton_24apr07_4b.jpg)
A closer look at the other. A the time, I was not sure of their species
identity, but now (2011) I am sure these are both ruber larvae.
Interestingly, in subsequent years, I have found montanus larvae
in this pool as well.
![](ruber_28apr07_1b.jpg)
A nice adult Red Salamander found with Jason Folt.
![](ruber_28apr07_2b.jpg)
Another look.
![](ambystoma_28apr07_4b.jpg)
Two Ambystoma larvae we dipnetted. I'm pretty sure that they
are jeffersonianum.
![](ambystoma_28apr07_1b.jpg)
Another look at one of them.
![](ambystoma_28apr07_2b.jpg)
One more look.
![](milk_28apr07_1b.jpg)
Milk snake.
![](pseudotriton_28apr07_1b.jpg)
Mud Salamander larva.
![](pseudotriton_28apr07_4b.jpg)
Same animal as above.
![](pseudotriton_28apr07_6b.jpg)
Another look.
![](habitat_04may07_1b.jpg)
Interesting habitat. Note the seepage to the right of the main creek.
Generally, situations like this are good for Pseudotriton.
![](springsal_04may07_2b.jpg)
A large Spring Salamander larva dipnetted from the above habitat.
It seemed to have more well developed gills than most I've seen.
Perhaps due to the habitat? I was surprised to see this species here
and not any Pseudotriton.
![](springsal_04may07_5b.jpg)
A young Spring Salamander larva found in the same habitat above.
![](habitat_04may07_2b.jpg)
Habitat farther upstream. There is a large spring-fed pool under
the overhang.
![](springsal_04may07_6b.jpg)
Spring Salamander larvae found in the above habitat. One was in the pool.
The other was in the creek flowing out of it.
![](boxturt_05may07_1b.jpg)
Box Turtle, as found.
This is an interesting situation I came across one rainy day:
![](habitat_05may07_1b.jpg)
A small spring-fed pool.
![](boxturt_05may07_3b.jpg)
Looking more closely.
![](boxturt_05may07_2b.jpg)
And more closely. A pair of Box Turtles. I also found a nesting
Fourtoed Salamander under moss at the edge of the pool.
![](pseudotriton_05may07_8b.jpg)
Nearby, I found these critters. Red Salamander larvae.
![](pseudotriton_05may07_1b.jpg)
Two of them.
![](ruber_05may07_1b.jpg)
The larger one. It is starting to morph.
![](ruber_05may07_4b.jpg)
A closer look at the larger one.
![](habitat_05may07_2b.jpg)
A spring-fed pool.
![](pseudotriton_05may07_15b.jpg)
Mud Salamander larvae dipnetted from the above pool.
![](worm_10may07_1b.jpg)
Worm Snake.
![](worm_10may07_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](habitat_10may07_1b.jpg)
A spring-fed seepage. The muck was only a couple of inches thick.
![](eurycea_10may07_1b.jpg)
A Longtailed Salamander larvae found in the above habitat.
I also found a Mud Salamander larva here.
![](habitat_10may07_2b.jpg)
A small seepage, with my dipnet shown for scale.
![](pseudotriton_10may07_6b.jpg)
A Mud Salamander larva dipnetted from the above seepage.
![](pseudotriton_10may07_9b.jpg)
A closer look at the above animal.
![](pseudotriton_10may07_12b.jpg)
Another Pseudotriton from the above pool.
I am still (in 2011) a little unsure about the species identity of
this one. I think it's Mud Salamander, but the pattern is unique.
It is too large to have hatched the previous winter.
I really wonder what it looked like as an adult...
![](pseudotriton_10may07_13b.jpg)
Another shot.
![](pseudotriton_10may07_10b.jpg)
The two together.
![](habitat_10may07_4b.jpg)
A seepage with very little surface water.
![](montanus_10may07_3b.jpg)
A nice adult Mud Salamander found in the above habitat.
It was under leaf litter.
![](hognose_10may07_1b.jpg)
A young Hognosed Snake.
![](hognose_10may07_3b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](hognose_10may07_4b.jpg)
Ventral shot.
![](milk_10may07_1b.jpg)
A Milksnake, as found on a dirt road.
![](habitat_12may07_1b.jpg)
A springhead. As one can see from the rippled surface of the water,
it has a decent flow. I found nesting Fourtoed Salamanders here.
I believe this is the only time I've ever found them nesting adjacent
to water with an appreciable flow.
![](habitat_12may07_2b.jpg)
A nice pool. Fourtoed Salamander eggs were found under moss here.
![](marbled_12may07_1b.jpg)
A metamorph Marbled Salamander found under leaf litter near the
edge of the above pool. There were also Marbled Salamander larvae in the pool.
![](habitat_12may07_4b.jpg)
Pretty habitat.
![](marbled_13may07_4b.jpg)
Marbled Salamander larvae.
![](marbled_13may07_2b.jpg)
A closer look at one of them.
![](fourtoed_15may07_2b.jpg)
Fourtoed Salamander eggs, almost ready to hatch.
![](milk_15may07_1b.jpg)
A Milksnake, as found on a road.
![](milk_19may07_2b.jpg)
Another Milksnake.
That's it for this installment.