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salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:33 am
by Jeroen Speybroeck
C'est parti!

13 specimens along my usual track (+ 2 elsewhere) (while peak numbers can go up to 60 along this track). All but one were females, although I'm not so sure about the obviousness of the male cloacal swelling in this part of the year.

I also could witness the quite apt swimming skills of this species (lateral undulation), but water was running into my boots while I was going down in the mud, so no picture :(.

Also Rana temporaria, Bufo bufo, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris starting to move. I guess we should hope for no more frost.

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in situ
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big female, still carrying
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smart slug found the excellent way to prevent being eaten
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female depositing in the middle of a 50cm deep water ditch, floating on dead leaves
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more typical depositing position along water's edge (but I think she's finished and about to leave)
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the presence of not-really-the-smallest larvae hints that I already missed some action...
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Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:53 am
by Bobby Bok
Very nice! Yesterday I found the first Bufo bufo of this year, on their way to the breeding waters. Already had found some R. temporaria and I. alpestris.

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:03 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Maybe nice to add that of those 13 animals, 5 were females in the water.

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:49 am
by Jan Grathwohl
Nice to see the animals starting to move :)

I found Triturus cristatus, Lissotriton vulgaris and Rana dalmatina in a few ponds yesterday.

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:37 pm
by Tomaz Jagar
No amphibs so far here, but we found 4 lizard species (P. muralis, P. siculus, P. melisellensis and A. nigropunctatus) active this week :)

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 12:15 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Saturday was extremely rainy, after a period of colder weather. About the same number of Salamandra on the move. I expected more, but a little bit warmer weather seems required. Noticeable was the more equal mixture of males, females and subadults this time.

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:29 am
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Yesterday night, rather warm and not so much wind, but really dry. Good or bad for Salamandra? Well, about 20 fire salamanders were out, including one that swam effortlessly across a ditch of about 3m wide... I have a crappy picture, which I might post tonight. Larvae are really everywhere, including small stagnant puddles which were not there prior to recent logging.

No crested newt for me yet, nor slow worm (very rare & secretive) or water frogs, but seen the rest of what there is to see near me: common toad, grass frog, palmate, Alpine, smooth newt and -of course- the beloved fire salamander (= not very much).

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:06 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
IMG_1975.jpg

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:08 pm
by Ilian Velikov
Very interesting! Did it swim like that (head above the water) through the whole ditch?

Re: salamander kick-off 2011

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:45 pm
by Ulrich Schulte
Hello everyone, last year I saw a salamander swimming in the same way quite unerringly. Here is the bad picture