Salamanders in the Drain

My house in Southern Ohio sits atop a small cellar that was part of an old farm house constructed in 1875.  A drain pipe runs from the cellar to a point near a seasonal pond in front of the house.  During the wet season, a seasonal spring emerges from the brick in one corner of the cellar and flows across the floor to the drain.  For some reason, beginning just a couple of years ago, salamanders have been coming up the drain and making themselves at home in the cellar.  Here are a few species that wandered in this past winter and spring.

Jefferson Salamander – This species is the first to arrive at the pond during the breeding season.  They sometimes lay their eggs as early as December.

Streamside Salamander – This uncommon salamander is almost identical in appearance to the Smallmouth Salamander.  The main difference between the two species is in the location and method of laying eggs.  Smallmouth Salamanders breed in still pools and deposit multiple eggs in a jelly-like mass.  Streamside Salamanders breed in small headwater streams or pools and deposit their eggs singly, but in close proximity so as to form a grouping of several eggs, beneath rocks, logs, leaves or other flat bottomed debris. Streamside Salamanders begin their breeding activities very soon after the Jeffersons.

Red-Spotted Newt – Adults of this species are typically found in permanent bodies of water, but they are also able to survive in seasonal pools that are dry during the summer and early fall.

Southern Two-Lined Salamander – I don’t normally find this species far from rocky creeks.  The instinct to disperse is present to some degree in all animals.  When conditions are right, the animal just takes off and travels.  Some die and some colonize new areas.  This individual may have been in dispersal mode.

Marbled Salamander – This species lays its eggs in the fall in locations that will contain water when the end of year rains begin.  Once inundated, the eggs hatch.  Adults commonly wander during late winter and spring rains.  I’ve lived here for 34 years, but it was just two years ago that I saw my first Marbled Salamander.  That individual was found in my cellar.  Even though I’ve seen this species each year since, all individuals have been found in my cellar.  I’ve yet to encounter one outdoors.

On warm days, I gather up the visitors and release them outdoors.  There is an old brush pile just upstream of the pond that seems to me to be an ideal release point.

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.

Salamander Tails

In search salamanders, I turned over a log near the creek and found this Southern Two-lined Salamander. I was actually hoping to find a Streamside Salamander using the log as a temporary sanctuary before heading back to its woodland home, but a salamander of any species is always exciting.

Southern Two-lined Salamanders are very common, but I normally find them beneath rocks and debris in the creek channel itself. This log was newly fallen, as evidenced by the fresh leaves it was covering and it was located about 50 feet from the creek bank.

The interesting thing about this salamander was the shortness of the tail. This salamander lost a portion of its tail and the tail is in the process of regenerating. The new growth takes a while to recover the original pigmentation and pattern, so it usually appears gray or bleached and looks to me like its outer skin has been removed.

If the salamander lives long enough, the tail will completely regrow and be almost indistinguishable from the original.

The strangest part of the encounter was finding a second salamander a few feet away that had also lost its tail. This looked to be a more recent loss as the tail had just begun to regrow. Maybe there’s a predator in the woods that is targeting salamander tails.

Southern Two-lined Salamander

Although common across the southern half of Ohio, the Southern Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea cirrigera, is a rarity at Blue Jay Barrens. This salamander is normally found along small streams in rocky wooded areas. Perhaps the frequency of drought at this location makes it difficult for the population to persist.

The name comes from the lines running along the edge of the salamander’s back. I probably would have named it the golden-backed salamander because it’s the bright yellow-gold coloring on the back that I first notice when I encounter this species.

Salamanders are always fun to encounter. They seem so fragile that it’s a wonder they can survive any type of adversity. I’m amazed each time I find a salamander apparently thriving in this dry landscape.

I found this guy beneath a log in the dry creek bed. There seems to be enough moisture in the creek gravel to keep the underside of the log hydrated, so this is a perfect place for a salamander to wait out the drought.