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Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: December 30th, 2016, 4:58 pm
by Adam Cooner
My Fourth Quarter post will, in reality, just consist of a few December finds: I shared our October mole kingsnake post at the end of the Third Quarter post, and Alabama's drought killed the herping in November. With the return of rain, amphibian activity has picked up a little, and I'm hopeful for more luck in the new year as vernal ponds begin to fill.

Marbled salamanders are typically the first ambystomatids to make an appearance for me during salamander season, and this year was no exception.

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Marbled Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

The most exciting find for me this month has been the northern spring salamander. Earlier in the year, I got an adult Carolina spring salamander (G. p. dunni) in the Talladega National Forest, ending my Gyrinophilus drought, larvae notwithstanding.

I've been herping this particular creek bed in Jefferson County, AL, for a couple of years, typically finding red salamanders, spotted duskies, Southern two-lineds, and northern spring larvae. On a trip earlier this month, I got a big surprise when I flipped a rock to find an adult spring in the underlying muck.

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Northern Spring Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

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Northern Spring Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

I visited a beaver pond swamp in the Oakmulgee WMA and got a red salamander for my trouble. Come spring, these things will be ubiquitous at this site.

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Red Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Just yesterday (12/29), I returned to the creek in Jefferson County and flipped what I believe to be the same spring salamander from earlier this month. I thought the occasion warranted another couple of photos.

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Northern Spring Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

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Northern Spring Salamander by Adam Cooner, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! Nothing too exciting (unless you know of my spring salamander struggles), but I expect more from the year-to-come and hope to be able to travel a little more for some species that still elude me.

Happy New Year!

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: December 30th, 2016, 6:15 pm
by Tamara D. McConnell
Phew! Still catching my breath from those images! So freaking remarkable!

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: December 31st, 2016, 10:55 am
by mtratcliffe
Thanks for sharing! Glad to see some Alabama herps on here. I used to live there, but that was long before I was a herper. I hope I can make it back and herp there sometime.

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: December 31st, 2016, 8:57 pm
by Adam Cooner
Tamara D. McConnell wrote:Phew! Still catching my breath from those images! So freaking remarkable!
Thanks, Tamara, though that's far more effusive praise than my photography warrants. Thanks for showing me my first mole king in 2016 (I would later actually be present when one was flipped), and here's hoping we can make it out to do some salamander hunting in the new year!

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: December 31st, 2016, 8:57 pm
by Adam Cooner
mtratcliffe wrote:Thanks for sharing! Glad to see some Alabama herps on here. I used to live there, but that was long before I was a herper. I hope I can make it back and herp there sometime.
Feel free to message me if you ever make it back. There's a sizeable number of Alabama herpers (many on this forum), and I'm sure we could turn up some good stuff.

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: January 9th, 2017, 9:29 am
by Noah M
Neat stuff. I always love salamander posts.

Re: Fourth Quarter 2016

Posted: January 10th, 2017, 8:40 am
by Ecto Hunter
Really digging that last Gyro shot.