The sperm deposits of the male Spotted Salamander remind us of tiny volcanoes. The deposits, known as spermatophores, are left by the male in hopes that a female will be enticed to use them to fertilize her eggs. These one we temporarily removed from the water to get a better photo. Sometimes the males will lay spermatophores on top of others to try and beat out the competition.
At a site that we monitor for the migration of the Spotted Salamander we came across these egg masses that were present a full three weeks before we usually see them here. We also saw wood frog egg masses, again much earlier than normal. Amphibians, like Spotted Salamanders, are a good species to track to measure the quality and changing nature of the local environment. No doubt this winter has been mild, so whether this is a long-term trend or just an unusual coincidence only time will tell.
