Midnight snorkelers capture incredible salamander migration
Every spring, yellow-spotted salamanders migrate to vernal ponds to breed. The result is a frenzy of activity that lasts only 2-3 nights each year. It is a spectacle to behold. The salamanders make their long journey from the surrounding forest under the cover of darkness, usually after a rainfall. The males arrive at the pond first, depositing spermatophores on the leaves and branches in shallow water. The females come soon after, gathering up the spermatophores to fertilize the eggs that they are waiting to deposit.
Soon after the eggs are fertilized, the female will attach herself to a submerged plant stem or twig and she will release the eggs. The eggs are protected by a sticky, gelatinous mass that deters predators as the eggs develop for approximately 30 days. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, similar to frogs and toads. They spend their first few months in the water, breathing through gills.
Salamanders are amphibians. Once they leave the water, they spend most of their lives underground, occasionally coming out of their burrows to feed and also for breeding season in March to May each year. They are rarely seen, although they are plentiful in the forests that they inhabit.
Salamanders excrete a toxic, milky fluid when they are threatened. Salamanders are a major food source for birds, raccoons, foxes and other animals.
Salamanders feed on earthworms, spiders, slugs, snails, and other insects. They have the amazing ability to grow a new tail and new limbs if one is severed.
A salamander has the unique ability to lay two different types of egg masses. One type has a water-soluble, protein-based gel. The other type has a hydrophobic protein-based gel. This is believed to prevent predation by wood frogs. These eggs are combined with an algae that produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide and nitrogen waste from developing embryos.
The complex relationships between organisms are only beginning to be understood. The health of our forests and our ecosystems depends on the survival of all species, no matter how small.
-
0:38
WildCreatures
29 days ago $4.44 earnedCaptivating Video Captures Bluebird's Delicate Landing at Bird Box Nest
4.23K10 -
11:28
DepressedGinger
19 hours ago*WOW* CNN admits Trump up BIG vs Biden
9.36K21 -
18:15
TheTapeLibrary
23 hours agoThe Unsolved Mystery of Spring Heeled Jack
15.9K12 -
10:55
intheblues
23 hours agoCornerstone Colosseum & Gladio Pedals
23.9K5 -
29:21
The Bitcoin Family
1 day agoBITCOIN DIP BUT THIS IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT!!
18.6K14 -
31:38
CarlCrusher
20 hours agoThe Mysteries of Skinwalker Ranch
18K4 -
4:30
Price of Reason
19 hours agoUnsung Hero Movie Review - Is It Any Good? The Rebecca St. James, for KING & COUNTRY Story
21.7K8 -
6:14
Morgonn
19 hours agoSTINCHFIELD - Should Social Media be regulated? - Gen Z - Age Restrictions?
36.7K20 -
8:26
GeekyNerdyTechy
1 day agoPanasonic LUMIX S 100mm F2.8 Macro Lens | The World's Smallest Macro!
45.1K5 -
11:02
JoBlo Horror Originals
1 day agoIntruder: A Forgotten Supermarket Slasher
49K6