Herp Activity Likely Tonight The forecast looks perfect for some fall amphibian migration tonight after dark. I hope some of you can get out and report what you find. I predict primarily Blue-spotted Salamanders, Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, Four-toed Salamanders, and…
Recent Herp Activity Morgan Road in Salisbury During last night’s rain, I spent 20 minutes at our Morgan Road Crossing here in Salisbury. A light rain started around 8 PM and intensified for the next few hours. The temperature was…
Recent Herp Activity Fall Amphibian Migration Although spring amphibian migrations get the most attention, fall uphill migrations on warm rainy nights can also be quite substantial. Some amphibians that move to wetlands in the spring, move back uphill to feed…
Recent Herp Activity Snapping Turtles are hatching We have received a number of reports recently from landowners who have young Snapping Turtles emerging from underground nests in their lawns and gardens. The photo of the fourteen baby snappers below was…
Recent Herp Activity Isolated Reports This week Ethan Bodin sent us the first ever report and photo of a Blue-spotted Salamander (or related hybrid) from Chittenden. Blue-spotteds are fairly common in the Lake Champlain Basin 1000 ft. lower and two…
Current Herptile Activity Only three amphibians are still calling from their breeding ponds. They are American Bullfrogs, Green Frogs, and Mink Frogs. Gray Treefrogs may call occasionally, but they are calling from trees, bushes, porches, decks, and house plants; not…
Recent Herp Activity People are now reporting sightings of Green Frog eggs. Green Frogs deposit a film of eggs on the surface of the water (see photos below). Since they deposit their eggs so late in the season, the water…
Recent Herp Activity On a June 11 field trip to Sunderland; Kiley Briggs, Kate Kelly, and I found our first young-of-the-year Wood Frogs. Chris Slesar reported young-of-the-year American Toads in West Haven on June 9. These youngsters were fresh eggs…
Recent Herp Activity We have received the first report of American Toad tadpoles hatched out and on the move. Kate Kelly reported them in Hinesburg. At the same time, there are still some American Toads calling and laying eggs.…
Recent Herp Activity We have been receiving a flood of reports lately. I suspect it has to do with the amount of recent press coverage we have had. We have been on local television, VPR, and Vermont Digger this spring…
