SPOTTED SALAMANDER RESCUE

On 31 March 2004, Professor Janovetz noticed spotted salamander egg masses in several inches of rainwater and leaf litter in an unused concrete pond near the greenhouse.  Investigation the next morning revealed live adult salamanders, and it was obvious that the salamanders could not exit on their own, so Professor Fink's Field Natural History class decided to rescue them.

The class, plus Professors Fink, Janovetz and Alexander, removed 72 adult salamanders and dozens of egg masses. (And then Dr. Fink made the class take a field identification quiz.)

The egg masses are much smaller than in Guion
Pond, and the jelly is tinted brown.
Perhaps this is from the dead leaves' tannins?

Most of the adult salamanders were found in the leaf pack.

Environmental Studies Professor Rob Alexander

Spotted Salamander soup.  This is about one third
of the adult salamanders we collected.  They were released
at Guion Pond, the only regular breeding site on campus.