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December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:09 pm
by Sandra Panienka
It is way too warm for December but good for herping. A friend and I decided to go on a search for salamanders and alpine newts last friday night. Our spot never disappoints. When we arrived it just had stopped to rain and the temperature was around 8°C. We found about 30 fire salamanders (adults, subadults, juveniles and one larva) and about 70 alpine newts (adults, subadults and juveniles). We also found a common toad, but it didn't seem to be in a very good shape.

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Other stuff:

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Thanks for watching! :O)

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:31 pm
by Mario Schweiger
Sandra,
very nice pics!
A vegetarian Ichthyosaura (4th pic from top)? ;) :o :lol: :?:

Mario

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:35 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
I love how those newts are so nicely spotted...

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 4:44 pm
by Gabriel Martínez
I. alpestris is so nice... somedays I prefer males and other days females, but both of them are the most cute herps of Europe. Nice photos Sandra!

BTW: Like Mario, I´m also surprised with the vegetarian newt! :lol:

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:54 pm
by Bobby Bok
That Salamandra looks huge in comparison to the Alpine Newt :) Great pictures!

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:08 pm
by Peter Oefinger
Well, in winter it has some advantages to photograph amphibs instead of reptiles! Cool pictures...

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:36 pm
by Sandra Panienka
Thanks for the kind replies.
I assume the vegetarian lady newt was on the hunt. I often find them eating snails, worms or bugs. Sometimes they also just sit in front of snails and bugs and seem to wait until they move. Especially bugs and snails tend to sit on blades of grass.

Here are some examples from earlier this year and last November:

January 15th, 2011 - Bug staring contest
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November 2010 - Successful snail hunting
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November 2010 - Litte newt + big worm
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Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:57 pm
by Sebastian Holzki
Sandra, great pics of the newts in situ.

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:27 pm
by Bobby Bok
Keep them coming!

Re: December Newts and Salamanders

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:42 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Jummie! ;)