Indicator of a Healthy Stream

Yesterday I was moving firewood to a location away from the house to hopefully reduce the number of ants around the house. I wore gloves because you never know what may be living in, under, or around a wood pile. As it turns out, it was a good idea because there were so many spiders! However, removing those logs was like opening a treasure chest. There were so many things to see: snails, slugs, ants, termites, centipedes, worms, lizards, lizard eggs, beetles (big and small), all kinds of spiders, carpenter bees, caterpillars, cocoons... I kept stopping my work to look at things and/or take pictures; it's amazing I got the job done at all :)

Red Salamander

I don't remember how many loads of wood I hauled, but finally I was nearing the end. There were just a few logs left and I started transferring those to the wheelbarrow. As I lifted one of the logs, I saw a shiny reddish tail poking out from the adjacent log and I got all excited. Before even lifting the log, I raced to get my camera. Then, I carefully lifted the log away from the creature hiding beneath. There, at my feet, was a six inch long, stout looking Red Salamander. I had seen one several years ago, but hadn't seen one since, so I was super excited. I snapped a few pictures then decided I should move it to the new wood pile since I was taking away its home and protection. It was surprisingly strong as it tried to wiggle out of my hand, but soon it was exploring its new home.

 

 Red salamanders can be identified by their yellow colored iris, their orangish-red skin and many irregular black spots. They can be found in a variety of habitats, but are most common around sources of water where they will hide under logs, rocks, and moss. Because they are sensitive to water pollution, they are a good indicator of the general health of a stream. They eat all sorts of insects, worms, and even smaller salamanders. Some predators will avoid eating them because their coloring looks similar to the very poisonous red newt.

Pseudotriton ruber

 Explaining to kids the differences between lizards and salamanders:
- Lizards are reptiles; salamanders are amphibians
- Lizards have dry skin with scales; salamanders have moist or slimy skin with no scales
- Lizards have external ear openings; salamanders lack ear openings
- Lizards have claws; salamanders have stumpy toes
- Lizards have eggs with shells which are usually laid in the sand; salamander eggs don't have shells and must be laid in moist environments (some even need to be completely submerged in water)