We find ourselves at the edge of winter again and critters are on the move. Among these are the Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, as it journey’s from it’s fossorial woodland home to the vernal pools of its breeding grounds. The migration has already occurred in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. The pools there are full of egg masses! The Blue Ridge and Ridge and Valley, being a couple weeks behind the phenological curve, will have migration spurts running into mid-March (depending upon elevation and local conditions). The natural history of the spotted salamander is tremendously interesting. Here’s an illustrated fact sheet to enrich your path to learning. (PDF for Print: Ambystoma maculatum)
