Stream Salamander in Norwich, and Video

Two Spring salamanders (wet, yellowish and brown salamanders) on a green leaf.

Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)

Much of the field work we have done this summer has been focused on filling in distribution gaps for Vermont’s three stream or “saturated soil” salamanders. Part of the reason for this is that these species are only rarely reported by anyone else. These are not species that you are likely to run into while hiking, biking, birding, or working in your yard. To find these three species, you have to be ready to get your feet wet and hands dirty and turn cover objects along small rocky streams or mucky seeps.

Last week Matt Gorton and I headed to a small stream along the border of the Green Mountain National Forest in Norwich in an effort to document Spring Salamanders from that town for the first time. We found all three species. In fact, we found one of the largest populations of Spring Salamanders we have seen.

While we were there, Matt used is cell phone cinematography skills to film this video for you. I hope it will motivate some of you to head out and find and photograph these three species on your own. Make sure to take some photos and let us know what you found.

After the link to our video, I have attached a list of those towns from which we need either first reports or updated reports and photos of Spring Salamanders. The tables are sorted by county and town. I left Grand Isle County off the list entirely since it does not appear to have any of the three stream salamanders.

P.S. Please keep in mind that since did not know in advance we were going to film this video, there were no make-up and wardrobe staff and Brad Pitt was unavailable to play the lead :).

Jim