Got Salamanders?

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
10,641
Reaction score
19,832
Points
377
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
These Salamanders were all over the place when I was a kid, we used to race them :lol. But I haven't seen any for at least a decade, what happened to them?

220px-SpottedSalamander.jpg
 

frustratedearthmother

Sustainability Master
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
20,482
Reaction score
22,510
Points
453
Location
USDA 9a
Same thing that happened to the "horny toads" we used to have... and hog nose snakes...and box turtles...and all those critters we used to play with as a child. But, we have tons of geckos here if that matters!
 

Britesea

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
5,676
Reaction score
5,732
Points
373
Location
Klamath County, OR
Well let's see... the horned toad was a lizard that ate ants, but didn't like the taste of the Argentinian ants that took over, So they went away. The salamanders need water, but a lot of the waterways are now capped over and controlled, so the salamanders went away. Same thing with the box turtles. Not sure about the hog nose snakes, though
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
10,641
Reaction score
19,832
Points
377
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
My granddaughter asked me today what I did when I was small. It made me think to the way back machine, so that's where the Salamander came from. I told her that a bunch of us kids would catch some and race them. She thought that was pretty cool, but she didn't know what a salamander was. I recall they can get up and move pretty fast.
 

Lazy Gardener

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
4,626
Reaction score
5,876
Points
292
Location
Central Maine, Zone 4B
We have plenty of salamanders. Spotted (yellow, as you show) Blue spotted, mud puppy, northern dusky, red eft, and a green one that is very common, but... I couldn't find pics or name of that one in my googling. there are other varieties here in Maine, but I'm only familiar with the ones I listed. There's also a fascinating toad here. It looks like the standard toad that you would find hopping around in your yard or garden, about 2" long and diameter, but it often takes up residence in bird houses. Very odd to look up at a bird house and see a toad staring back at you!
 
Top