Another Big Night

Yesterday's rains and warm temperatures were just what our sleeping amphibians have been waiting for, and reports have been rolling in from around the state. While colder sites in the Champlain Valley were seeing their peak activity, even the warmest sites in central Vermont were just experiencing their first movements of amphibians and few frogs were heard singing. There are still many areas of central Vermont that are waiting for their first activity of the year, but if sufficient melting occurs at those sites over the course of the day we could see widespread activity throughout the area this evening. If you have to be driving, please watch the roads carefully for amphibians. Below are a few pictures from Pond Rd in Shelburne, where 8 species of amphibians and 3 species of reptiles were observed:


A whopping 44 Spotted Salamanders crossed.


We found 7 Green Frogs over the course of the evening.


Spring Peepers were the most numerous with 60 crossed.


Adult male Eastern Newts can be easily identified during breeding season by their swollen vents and black pads on the tips of their toes. We found 2, the other was a juvenile.


Only 8 Wood Frogs were seen, and none heard singing.


We had 8 Leopard Frogs, and even heard some singing!