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February 13, 2014

SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER

Hi All,

As our eastern states are still reeling from yet another storm, Spring is just around the corner and soon we will see little birds, fawns and green plants sprouting.

It has been a very strange Winter!  We started it off, in Fall, with a heavy wind storm that left our property covered with pine needles and branches. Warm weather followed and burn restrictions were in place until snowfall.  Now we are in February and just getting out to our burn piles!
Today, as I was picking up some downed branches, I uncovered a little salamander.


Ensatina eschscholtzii platensis The Sierra Nevada Ensatina (salamander)

I was surprised to see one of these lung-less salamanders, only because the area where I sited him is usually warm and dry.  Since they breath through their skin, it requires them to live in damp environments with high humidity.
The ground litter we had this winter provided a perfect spot for this little guy to find a protected home. I moved him over to the edge of where I was clearing and watched as he slowly waddled off in search of a new location.
As I went back to work, I was looking for eggs, but did not see any.  They usually lay 9-16 eggs; a little smaller than a miniature marshmallow. Unlike other salamanders which hatch in water and have gills, this species will hatch in the moist forest floor and have the same body form as an adult.

We did not get the snowfall as our eastern neighbors, but we had plenty of moisture for the ecosystem to thrive.
I will keep my warm clothing out for a few more months, but seeing that bright shiny orange color was a Spring delight!

Until next time,
Deb

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