Herp Update: Continuing Migration and Fundraiser– December 7, 2021

Continuing Amphibian Activity

Herpers, with the temperatures at 50°F and the rains becoming heavy around 5 PM, I had to run over to the Morgan Road amphibian crossing here in Salisbury again last night. Given that this was both warmer and wetter than back on December 2, I was not surprised to find 21 Eastern Red-backed Salamanders during my 15-minute visit. All were adults and all but two were clearly heading uphill.

I was surprised to find two 1/2-grown Wood Frogs on the road (no clear directional movement) and a 3/4-grown Spotted Salamander heading back down into the swamp. This Spotted Salamander concerned me, since it was heading the wrong way. Could it have been stimulated to breed way too early? If so, it was unlikely to survive that mistake.

The Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Annual Fundraiser

As of this afternoon (Tuesday), the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas fundraiser was nearing $14,000 toward our goal of raising $25,000 for next year.

If you have not donated already, please donate.
If you have donated already, thanks again.

In either case, please forward this post to anyone or any list of people who may be interested in supporting our local wildlife conservation and education efforts.

To learn more about what we have accomplished over the past year and to see the many ways you can contribute, please visit our GoFundMe site at: https://gofund.me/70b5be0e

Our upcoming course: Conserving Vermont’s Reptiles

Don’t forget to check out our new course offering for this winter and next spring. We will discuss the identification, habitat, natural history, and conservation of all of Vermont’s turtles, snakes, and our one lizard. For more information or to register visit either: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conserving-vermonts-reptiles-tickets-211892103987
or https://familyforests.org/conserving-vermonts-reptiles/

If you know anyone who might be interested in this course, please let them know.