Salamander pics

[Md 25v]

I can't believe how much interest there was in the snake thread I started. Figured I throw a salamander thread in too.

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
These guys are one of my favorites. Here's a pic of an egg cache.

This is a single egg

Heres what they look like just after they hatch

and this is when they have full gills and are about 2 in long

and when they start absorbing the gills

this is when they start to breath air, they come to the surface to gulp air

and finally, this is what they look like when they are ready to leave the water

 

[Md 25v]

Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
this is a larval stage when they are aquatic

and heres an adult

Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
heres a young one, really bright color

and this ones pretty old

 

[Md 25v]

still can't figure out what this guy is. he is not aquatic in the larval stage but has a lot of features I can't place.

 

[Joezilla]

awwwww look at that lill spotted on your hand!!!

I just played with a few this weekend at astronomy days. Did you know they use the constellations to find their breeding pools? Scientists have brought them into planatariums and modify the stars. It causes them to completely change direction!

 

[Joezilla]

still can't figure out what this guy is. he is not aquatic in the larval stage but has a lot of features I can't place.

isn't that a desmog? Looks like it could be a dusky.

 

[Md 25v]

Long-Tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)

 

[Md 25v]

thats what I thought but at that size wouldn't a D.fuscuc have gill formations that are apparent behind the back of the jaw line?

 

[tonym]

Cool Idea

 

[Joezilla]

the northerns can get pretty small from what I remember. Have you tried fieldherpforums yet on that one?

 

[Joezilla]

and this ones pretty old

That might be an eastern mud salamander man! that would be sweet!!!

 

[Md 25v]

I wasn't gonna post any red back pics because they are so common but I guess I'll throw this one in. They actually stay with their eggs for 2-3 days until they have absorbed enough moisture to swell to full size. Here is a pick of a red back (lead phase) guarding her eggs

 

[Thalestin]

awesome pics. Salamanders are cool little animals

 

[Md 25v]

its not a mud salamander. I wish. They don't occur in that part of the delmarva.

 

[Thalestin]

The little guy that you had on your knife are quite common where I live. Havent seen many other varieties. Probably because I live on an island=D

 

[Joezilla]

thats just what a book tells you! Don't let that discourage. We found an rim rock crowned snake 70 miles south of its reported range. Did you get any more pics of that guy or any head shots to check eye color.

They said that about indigos in the everglades (none seen for 10 years) and some guy comes up on one 20 miles in.

 

[Md 25v]

we actually thought that it might be a range extension of the mud salamander so we did check the eye color. unfortunately it was a P.ruber

 

[Bushman5]

love the pics!

 

[Md 25v]

This is a development set on A. jeffersonianum.
Egg mass

this is right after they hatched

Right from the start they are voracious. eat worms as big as they are

Heres what they look like after a week

a little bigger

starting to flatten out

and finally, after they morphed

Time for release

 

[Joezilla]

awwwwwww!!!!

 

[Joezilla]

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