Spring Havens for Salamanders was originally published in the BFEC Newsletter, Vol. 16/No. 2, Spring 2012.
For our most elusive group of animals (amphibians), spring is the time to let the guard down and do some relatively visible spring breaking. Spotted salamanders are towards the top of the list of animals that you aren't likely to see outside of a vernal pool in early spring. Nocturnal and underground for most of their lives, these large colorful characters respond to warm, moist nights and travel en masse to vernal pools to breed. Similarities to life-cycles depicted on MTV may be noted.
Spotted salamanders prefer large tracts of deciduous forest and are completely dependent on vernal pools, like the one pictured below along the Bishop Backbone Trail, to breed. The salamanders will generally visit the same pool for their entire lives. The seasonal nature of these pools prevents them from developing into permanent bodies of water that can support predators like fish and ensure that a safe place will always be available for laying eggs. A female spotted will lay as many as 100 eggs in a large, round, jelly-like clump. She never lingers, leaving her eggs to develop and hatch on their own in a month or two. Young spotted salamanders will remain in the pools for up to four months before shedding their gills and taking to ground.