Last Tuesday, several students, Doug, Nate, Dan, Allison and myself (totaling 15!) went to a secret vernal pool in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (well, maybe it’s not very secret) to observe spotted salamanders.  We encountered plenty of spotted salamanders, a red-spotted newt, and spring peepers.  It was an exciting night, and there were several enthusiastic photographers present (I think four people had dSLRs) so I hope to see some photographs other than my own.

Below are some spotted salamander pictures, posed and unposed.

     We also found some eggs in and around the woodland wetland.  There seemed to be two types: one type found under logs with more or less a single eggs surrounded by gelatin, and a second type in the water with many eggs encased in a single, gelatinous, cresent-shaped mass.  Although I’m certain that the later are spotted salamander eggs, I’m unsure about the former, but I would still argue that they are Ambystoma given their size.