Wildlife Wednesday – The Spotted Salamander

Welcome back to Wildlife Wednesday, one of our favorite days of the week! Today we spotlight a critter that you may be seeing a lot more of during the next few months if you are lucky enough to come across one – the spotted salamander.
Spotted salamanders are found throughout Ohio in low-lying moist woodlands adjacent to swamps, ponds, and creeks. Because of their secretive nature and their love for tunneling underground, they are seldom seen except in early spring. Then they migrate in large numbers to breeding ponds. Even then, they are active only at night.
Often the only evidence of their presence is a fist-sized egg mass containing less than 100 eggs which is attached to a submerged stick or plant. How does a six-inch salamander pass a fist-sized egg mass? The eggs are not that large when laid, but the jelly-like substance that covers them swells when the eggs come in contact with the water.
For more info on this species and other amphibians, download the Amphibians of Ohio Field Guide at https://ohiodnr.gov/…/Amphibians%20of%20Ohio%20Field…. Ohio Division of Wildlife Ohio Department of Education #WildOhio
Information courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources