I’ve been watching the area around the mass of Streamside
Salamander Eggs I photographed last week, figuring that the area would fill
with larvae once the eggs hatched. When
I went by yesterday, the creek was crowded with newly hatched salamanders. This was a welcome sight, because I had been
concerned that the eggs might have suffered some damage from being hauled out
for a photo shoot.
As the salamander larvae age, their coloring changes to
become less conspicuous against the creek bottom. Or it might be that all of the conspicuous
larvae are eaten and those with better camouflage live longer.
Nothing left beneath the rock except the now empty
eggs. I’ll check back periodically to
see how long this evidence of a successful hatch remains recognizable.
The head is the dominant feature of a young larva. It contains the eyes and the mouth; two
things that are brought to use immediately upon hatching. Salamanders are predators and the larvae will
eat anything small enough to get in the mouth and down the throat. The more it eats, the faster it grows and the
greater its chances of metamorphosing into an air breather and leaving the
creek before the water disappears.
There are already some older larvae in the creek
that are showing the development of their front legs. I first noticed newly hatched larvae a couple
of weeks ago. This one probably hatched
during that time period. Batches of
young larvae can be seen the entire length of the creek. Based on those criteria, this has been a
successful breeding season. The real
test though, will be how many larvae successfully leave the water and establish
themselves on land.
It is such fun to watch the progress - and remember all of this from when I was a child pulling unsuspecting critters from the creek.
ReplyDeleteHi Lois. I'm also frequently reminded of my childhood forays into the creek.
ReplyDelete