Tracey Hall, BRLT
Spotted salamanders swim amid egg mass. Courtesy of Dr. John Burns
Spring has arrived on the Boothbay peninsula and our local vernal pools are a flurry of activity. These seasonal bodies of water are a desirable place for some species of frogs, salamanders and insects to reproduce, as they lack the egg eating fish found in ponds and streams. For portions of the year vernal pools dry up, but each spring they fill with snow melt and rain. Each spring, amphibians migrate from the surrounding forest to mate and lay their eggs in dense jelly masses.
Many of us on the Boothbay peninsula live within walking distance of a vernal pool with its many sights and sounds. If you have never looked closely at a vernal pool, this is the time to do so. Locally wood frogs, spring peepers, and spotted salamanders are finishing up mating, and their eggs are visible in the pools waters. Frog calls can also be heard on warm nights some from miles away, so be sure to crack your windows
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