Now that March has begun, it’s time to begin March Species Madness in earnest. And we will take a brief break from mammals to focus on a matchup between amphibians. Our first match of Round One pits one of our Final Four from last year against a popular contender that gets monitored each year at rare. Last year the Spring Peeper frog (Pseudacris crucifer) almost went all the way. This little creature is seldom seen at rare, but it is heard in wetlands across eastern Canada and the United States, especially during breeding season. Males make a distinctive high-pitched noise that they use to attract mates (listen to their call here). These creatures measure less than 38 mm (1.5 inches) and weigh between 3 to 5 grams. And if that isn’t enough, they can change their skin colour to match their surroundings, within 15 to 45 minutes. This educational page from Wisconsin has more facts about the Spring Peeper, including a photo of one peeping!
But maybe the Spring Peeper is about to be dethroned by the colourful Spotted Salamander (Abystoma maculatum)? This amphibian is found in mature forests with ponds and vernal pools (bodies of water that exist for part of a year) across the eastern US and eastern Canada. They can be hard to spot, as they spend most of their time underground. They range in size from about 15-25 centimetres and feed on worms, slugs, snails, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, insects and algae. They can defend themselves from larger predators (including raccoons, skunks, turtles and snakes) by secreting a toxic milky liquid from their skin, and can grow back parts of a leg, tail and internal organs if a predator manages a bite. Unfortunately, humans are one of their top predators, as they are sought after in the pet trade.
Check out this article about the Yellow Spotted Salamander in Hinterland Who’s Who.
Spotted salamanders, along with other salamanders, are an indicator species here at rare. Staff and volunteers regularly go out into the field to count the salamanders they find. The more we have, the healthier we now the ecosystem to be. So let’s give both these creatures their space, with healthy forest and wetlands in which to live and grow… and compete to see which goes forward in our March Species Madness tournament! Vote now.