Spotted Salamander: A Metric for Success
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There are species at Harmony Hill that remind us exactly why we are conservationists at heart and give us immediate reminders that what we are doing is making a difference. When we set out to protect this little corner of the world, we didn’t have a roadmap to follow, and we didn’t have a plan to get to where we are today. In fact, we are still fluid in our approach and are continually learning from Mother Nature. Her lessons will keep us forever her students and, even though we do have an overall goal, our management plan is not a rigid document that is unwavering. Instead, we walk towards to a grand plan for Harmony Hill knowing our efforts may change to meet the needs of the land as the climate and the surrounding area alters, sometimes more quickly than expected.
As with any goal, we look for definable metrics to show us if what we are doing is having the positive impact we are hoping for. In a business setting, this might be seen in specific performance outcomes. Fortunately, our metrics are not quite as cumbersome or as stuffy as those found in a corporate corner office. Oh, we have measurable goals we work towards; but we tend to think of them as dynamic and exciting when we see them come into focus.
Take this week’s spotlight species as a perfect example. At first glance, some may see it as just another species to add to the list of things at Harmony Hill; another line on a spreadsheet of plants and animals. To the casual observer, this may be just some slimy critter that serves as fish food or a weird animal they’ve heard lives underground. But to us, this is proof what we’re working towards is actually working and it is an example to anyone who would like to preserve and protect the environment that starting at home truly makes a difference.
Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are not rare amphibians; but they are, in many ways, a special amphibian. You know we love to cover as many topics as we can during our visits, and this will be no exception! Buckle up and get ready to learn about a salamander that connects many aspects of nature, science, and good stewardship.
Having a range that covers much of the eastern United States, portions of southeastern Canada and the Great Lakes region, even pushing westwards through the gulf states and into parts of Texas and Oklahoma, Spotted Salamanders are a pretty common salamander. But allow us to ask you this, “How often have you seen them in the wild and when was the last time you saw one?” We know professional naturalists who have gone years between sightings and have even spoke to some avid outdoors people who have never seen one at all. That’s because they are a secretive species that lives most of its adult life under the cover of logs, leaf litter, and even several inches of topsoil. This fossorial lifestyle means it isn’t a species you can count on encountering on just any walk in the woods.
The only times we’ve encountered them outside of research or population surveys has been in early spring, when adults move to breeding vernal pools, wetlands, and sheltered ponds. In our neck-of-the-woods, that spring breeding season may begin long before spring is even found on the calendar. There are years that rainfalls might be sufficient and temperatures warm enough to cause adult Spotted Salamanders to come out into the open and head to breeding waters in December. Then again, we may have to wait until February or March to experience the nights of migration in which these gorgeous amphibians walk to begin breeding.
In the southern part of their range, of which we are on the very southeastern portion, we can often see three rounds of breeding by adult Spotted Salamanders over the course of better than two months. Heading north, those numbers reduce significantly, with populations in Maine, Canada, and the Great Lakes regions seeing one or, potentially, two rounds of breeding occurring in just a week or so.
And the waters where they breed? Well, they overwhelmingly prefer pools of water with little to no pressure from predators. Ephemeral pools of water offer places to lay eggs and allow those eggs to develop into larval Spotted Salamanders without the worries of fish devouring the growing amphibians.
They can and do utilize places that replicate this habitat, including artificial ponds, fishless wetlands, and even flooded ditches. While they have been documented breeding in ponds that have carnivorous fish, for obvious reasons, those are not the most productive or preferred waters. At Harmony Hill, we are fortunate to have bottomland wooded areas that see flooding, but are void of fish. We have been fortunate the last few years to have experienced flooding, and that has been good for numerous species, like the Spotted Salamander. We also have a pond that has very limited numbers of fish to consume amphibians that lay egg masses in its waters.
Eggs usually take between three and six weeks here to develop into larval Spotted Salamanders. As eggs, something unique and quite rare occurs in developing Spotted Salamanders. A relationship with a single-celled algae, Oophila ablystomatis, happens with each egg. Whether this relationship is truly mutualistic is not at all clear. Instead of absolutely mutualistic, this relationship seems to favor the developing salamander eggs.
Usually, the algae are inside the eggs when they are laid; passed down from the adult female. The immune systems of the developing eggs are even set to have no response to the outside genetic material. Sometimes, the algae will occupy an area just outside the egg, but within the egg mass and close enough to benefit the eggs. But what is the purpose of the algae and egg relationship?
Simply put, the eggs benefit from the oxygen and energy (in the form of simple sugar) produced by photosynthesis in the algae cells and the algae cells benefit from the liquid nitrogen waste from the developing salamander eggs. Now, we all know it isn’t always as simple as it looks on paper. There have been studies which show the algae suffers a little more than it may benefit from growing along with the Spotted Salamander eggs. There are many occasions in which photosynthesis isn’t efficient enough to produce enough energy and oxygen for both the egg and the algae. In these circumstances, especially as the egg grows and its size and color reduce the ability for the algae to photosynthesize, the algae must turn to fermentation to supply itself with the energy to continue the relationship. As it continues to take advantage of the salamander waste and utilize the nitrogen, this relationship never really enters the realm of parasitism.
The larval stage lasts between two and three months, and it is a completely aquatic larval stage. As larva, these salamanders will eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths, which are usually aquatic invertebrates. However, they will readily eat tadpoles, small fish, and even other salamander larvae. To our great joy, larval Spotted Salamanders have been documented consuming great numbers of mosquito larvae, adding to our holistic pest control approach!
When they lose their gills, leave the water, and become adults, their diet continues to include just about anything that will fit into their mouths. While this primarily consists of things like earthworms and insects, they have been documented taking advantage of small frogs and even other, smaller salamanders. Several years ago, we were fortunate enough to see an adult Spotted Salamander eating a Ring-necked Snake.
As adults, they are unmistakable in appearance, with that dark body and two rows of yellow spots running down the length of their bodies. They may be black, dark charcoal grey, or even a deep blue or green; but, they all look very much the same. Being up to 8”-9” in length, they are larger than most any other salamander. 6”-7” is the usual length we encounter here.
They are subject to be prey to a long, long list of predators; with skunks, raccoons, opossums, snakes, frogs, toads, fish, and birds, just to name a few! This is where being fossorial comes as a big advantage in avoiding predation.
In another instance of being a scientific marvel of nature, Spotted Salamanders are capable of regenerating entire limbs, should a would-be predator take a leg or tail. As if that isn’t impressive enough, there have been recorded instances of Spotted Salamanders regrowing things much more vital than a new tail or even an entire leg! Spotted Salamanders have been known to regrow internal organs and even portions of their heads and brains! Their regenerative capabilities are being studied to potentially help humans who have suffered injury or even some birth defects.
At each stage of their lives, Spotted Salamanders rely on waters that are free of contaminates and habitats that are protected from everything from increased runoff to harmful chemicals. Seeing Spotted Salamanders at Harmony Hill means we are offering a buffer from development, overharvesting of trees in adjacent forests, and use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other chemicals in the area.
One of our goals is to be a refuge. We strive to provide clean and healthy habitats for plants and animals, as well as for us. Spotted Salamanders are one of those measurable metrics showing our efforts are working and our goals are being attained. Clean water, quality habitats, space for native plants and animals to flourish; all things we see in Spotted Salamanders at Harmony Hill.
Just as important as this is for us, it is also something we can show neighbors and anyone interested in protecting their own piece of nature. And it is something we can show you, our fellow naturalists. You don’t have to have a massive piece of property or deep pockets. Every acre counts and even small steps matter in the journey towards helping Mother Nature. That’s what we see when we observe Spotted Salamanders. Not simply a lovely dark salamander with yellow spots, but proof that we can make a difference; that we can be good stewards and take care of those without the voice to advocate for themselves.