The first big push of amphibian in central Vermont occurred
this Earth Day, April 22, and volunteers were out in force to help them as
they migrated across roads. Collectively, volunteers spent over 25 hours
monitoring 6 road crossings. Over 500 amphibians were moved off the road,
including an impressive 136 Spotted Salamanders! This all despite the rain
ending early in the evening, causing migration to slow as the roads dried up
after dark.
Among the notable observations from the night, a Pickerel
Frog was found on Center Rd (East Montpelier). The season’s first American
Toads were also reported, from Center Rd (E. Montpelier) and Pond Rd
(Huntington). In addition to all the amphibians, an impressive 3 Northern
Watersnakes were reported on Pond Rd in Shelburne! Most reports indicated that
the numerous Spotted Salamanders were all moving towards their breeding sites.
The next rain could see a big movement in the reverse direction as they head
back to the forest uplands for the summer.
The next opportunity for observing and monitoring the
amphibian migration will be Saturday, April 26.
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