Creek Salamanders

A light shower on a warm evening prompted me to take a stroll along the creek to see if any salamanders might come out of hiding.  Within seconds of reaching the creek, I noticed a Dusky Salamander moving across the gravel.  This species usually keeps beneath the flat rocks, but I thought the recent flood disturbance to the creek channel might have left a few displaced salamanders in its wake.  A light rain provides ideal conditions for traveling about in search of a new home.

Salamanders that have moved into the open on their own, as opposed to those that are suddenly exposed by the lifting of their sheltering rock, are normally approachable and easy to observe.  I stopped the wholesale flipping of rocks as a youngster when I noticed that each subsequent flip revealed fewer organisms.  Now I try to take advantage of those occasions that salamanders naturally withdraw from cover.

Dusky Salamanders are not large, but mature specimens will develop a stout body and thick tail that gives them a chunky appearance.  I believe the swellings on the side of the neck identify this as a male in breeding condition.

Not far down the channel, I found a Two-lined Salamander.  These little guys are shorter and much thinner than the Dusky.  Both species are very common, so if you look for salamanders in the creek you really expect to find these two.

This individual appeared to be hunting.  It moved methodically through the rocks by pulling itself slowing forward and then stopping for several seconds.

I thought that the salamander had found some prey, but it lifted its head and proceeded forward.  It’s a treat to watch animals behave as they would without human interference.  Despite the brightness of these shots, the sun had already set and because of the cloud cover, it was quickly getting dark.  I finally had to leave the salamanders to go about their business while I headed back to the house.

Hidden Picture

I flipped a rock in the creek in hopes of finding a salamander larva and I was not disappointed. As is my custom, I snapped a shot as soon as the rock was clear so I would get some type of image, just in case my intended subject took off. As soon as this shot was taken, the larva zipped for cover beneath a large rock and my photo opportunity was over.

When I later checked my shots, I found that I had captured the larva, a Dusky Salamander, but water distortion and the reflection of the sky didn’t make it a very good picture.

Then I noticed something to the left of the larva and zoomed in to find a young crayfish. He’s got something held in his tiny pinchers, but I can’t see it well enough to get an ID.

So I decided to play the old Hidden Picture game I used to enjoy while in the orthodontists waiting room and see what else I could find. There are several Water Pennies in the shot. I like to see these because they are indicators of high quality creek water.

An aquatic isopod is grazing on a submerged stick. These scavengers feed on decaying plant and animal matter. I used to keep these as pets when I was a kid, because they were the closest thing I could find to a living trilobite. I’m always finding things in my photographs that I never saw in the field. It’s a lot of fun to discover these little surprises.

A Little Bend in the Creek

When I have the time, I like to spend a few minutes in one loction to see what I can find. I decided to spend a little time at this spot in the creek before the flow completely stops. A nice gravel bar has developed on the inside of the curve where the creek takes a turn to the left.

The force of water during high flow conditions is expended against this limestone bedrock on the right bank. The bedrock layers have a definite lean to the left as a result of the meteor strike 300 million years ago. You can get a good idea of the shallowness of the soil over this rock. The exposed roots of the dead cedar stump show how they are stopped by the impenetrable limestone.

Here’s the source of the Field Horsetails that are now circling my water garden and charging out across the driveway.

The water flow has really slowed in this small pool. It won’t be too long before the water stops moving all together. Small pools like this are often dry by early September.

There are several aquatic creatures living here. The easiest way to find the swimming and floating animals is to watch for their shadows on the creek bottom. Water Striders are present everywhere there is enough water on which to float. The shadow shows the size of the dimples made by the Water Strider’s feet pushing down on the surface of the water. Small fish are also present. These are probably young Northern Creek Chubs. The mature chubs make their way up the creek to breed during high water in spring. You can see one fish just below the Water Strider and one a little ways to the left.

Some of the Streamside Salamander larvae are still in the creek. The little fish are large enough to cause problems for these larvae. The salamander is big enough to eat the fish if it could catch them, but if given the chance, the fish will feed on the salamander’s gills and any other little parts they can get hold of.

I picked up a 3 inch flat rock and found some interesting life beneath.

This is a hellgrammite, the larva of the Fishfly.

Here's the larva of a Dusky Salamander. It will spend its entire life beneath rocks in or near the creek.

I didn’t notice this mayfly larva when I took the picture. I was checking the picture of the hellgrammite and salamander larva when I spotted the image of the 3 tail filaments common to mayfly larvae. You can see the tail on the left in this picture and you can see the eye spot on the right. This particular species is shaped to resist the water currents as it clamors around on the rocks grazing algae.