Herp Update

Herpers,
with temperatures in the 50’s last night and after an afternoon of rain, once again conditions looked perfect for amphibian migration last night.  Thankfully, most of the amphibians appear to have found their overwintering locations by now.  I went out to Morgan Road here in Salisbury and made two passes over and back through the crossing area and only found 3 Eastern Red-backed Salamanders and one Wood Frog.

The red-backeds were heading uphill and one was missing its tail.  Cindy S was out at North Street in New Haven at about the same time and found only one dead Wood Frog.  Earlier this weekend she found an American Toad in Huntington that apparently froze by being on the surface at the wrong time.  Steve P  reported a Common Gartersnake out at the mouth of its den in Monkton this weekend and Jeff G accidentally dug up a wintering Red-bellied Snake in a sand bank in Plainfield.

The moisture in the extended forecast looks like it will probably be snow rather than rain, so perhaps amphibian migration will finally come to an end for the year.  Still, I have seen Eastern Red-backed Salamanders come to the surface during an extended January thaw before.  I got the impression they were out for a mid-night (winter) snack.

Jim