A Little Road Cruise through the Shenandoah

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Jefferson
Posts: 185
Joined: March 2nd, 2014, 6:50 am
Location: Southwest Missouri

A Little Road Cruise through the Shenandoah

Post by Jefferson »

I've been back home in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley for just under a week now, and with college classes back in full swing, I almost wasn't able to go road cruising tonight. But when, on rare occasion, the weather guessers are correct in their prognostications, as they were tonight, it's tough to pass up a good Ambystoma opportunity. I and a new member of the university herping club went out at about 7pm tonight to hit a few back roads bordering vernal pools and streams to see what we could turn up. The rain wasn't heavy enough to bring the Springs and Reds out tonight, but the Ambystoma were out in full force. First, we encountered our first lumbering Spotted Salamander, one of the fattest I have ever seen:
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Virginia Spotted Salamander

A mile or so later, after a gaggle of unpictured Wood Frogs, we happened upon two more Spotted Salamanders simultaneously crossing the road, but as we photographed the first, the second escaped into the roadside woods and disappeared on us!
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Second Spotted Salamander

The rest of this particular road turned up a heaping helping of Wood Frogs and one more Spotted Salamander. After stopping for some gas and food in town, we headed into pastureland along a blacktop one-lane and turned up this beauty, the last salamander of the night:
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Jefferson Salamander

Happy herpin'!
Jefferson
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Rich in Reptiles
Posts: 494
Joined: November 30th, 2012, 7:45 am
Location: Missouri

Re: A Little Road Cruise through the Shenandoah

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

You found a jefferson!!! YIIIP!!
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