While out jogging in my neighborhood in late August I ran into 17 Red-Spotted Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), 10 were alive and 7 were DOR (Dead on the Road)). I have never seen such a colorful herp (herpetology- the study of reptiles and amphibians) in North America. I didn’t have my good camera but I did take some photos with my iphone.
Flash-forward to October 9, 2010, I had some friends over from Massachusetts and took them over to the frog pond down the road to see what we could find. We saw some Pickerel Frogs (Rana palustris), which on most occasions are out and about and easily caught. I managed to catch one so that my companions could take a good look at it. (A note about catching amphibians: If you have used insect repellent before going on your frog catching adventure, it is best to just observe the frog. Insect repellent can be deadly for amphibians if gets on their permeable skin.) We also managed to spot some aquatic (adult) Red-Spotted Newts who have undergone a huge change since the last time I saw them (in their juvenile “eft” terrestrial stage). We also saw 21 Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).
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| Juvenile terrestrial stage of the Red-Spotted Newt |
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| Red-Spotted Newt "Eft" |
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| Pickerel Frog |
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| Adult (aquatic) Red-Spotted Newt |
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