Several years ago we planted a variety of speckled violets in our garden. Over the years they continue to bloom. Some of the plants have reverted to a solid purple color but quite few remain speckled each year.
Spring rains always make Tom's Run at Pine Ridge Park a scenic spot to visit. The stream name on historic maps is sometimes listed as 'Tomb's' Run, a common family name in southern Indiana County. Somehow over the years the 'b' was dropped from the spelling.
The Wehrle's Salamander was first discovered in Indiana County in 1911. Since then the population continues to live here in scattered hillside areas throughout the County. This group included five adults and one juvenile. One of the adult females had visible eggs in her belly. The eggs are laid deep in rocky crevices and have only been seen by researchers in the wild on one occasion. Their large eyes help with their nighttime vision, when they forage for food. The salamander in the lower the photo is a male. Males have cirri, which are small downward projections from the nostrils that are thought to play are role in chemoreception.
