With 58 species of salamanders — more than one tenth of all the world’s salamander species — Georgia is a global “hot spot” for the amphibians.
For all of their abundance, however, salamanders, which also include newts, mudpuppies, waterdogs, sirens and weird creatures called amphiumas, don’t get much attention. Many people have never seen one, mostly because the creatures remarkably stay out of sight — spending most of their time beneath rotting logs, moss-covered rocks and other secretive spots. Some (the so-called mole salamanders) live underground.
Now, a new book, “Salamanders of the Eastern United States,” published by the University of Georgia Press, provides detailed portrayals of the fascinating creatures and praises them for their tremendously important ecological roles. As carnivores, the creatures eat large numbers of insects, mosquito larvae, worms, millipedes, snails and other invertebrates— and become food themselves for larger animals.
“They are responsible for an enormous amount of the energy that is transferred along the food chain from insects (and other invertebrates) to the top carnivores,” say the book’s authors.
Salamanders’ moist, permeable skin also makes them vulnerable to drought and toxic substances, making them exceptional indicators of ecosystem health.
The density of salamanders in a natural habitat also is remarkable. For instance, “red-backed salamanders in Appalachian forests occur in such large numbers that their biomass may exceed that of all the birds and mammals that also occupy the habitat,” say the authors.
Most salamander species breed in late winter and early spring. An exception is one of Georgia’s most beautiful salamanders — the 5-inch-long marbled salamander, which lives underground or in leaf litter most of the year in deciduous woodlands. Marbled salamanders are unusual in that they emerge at this time of year to crawl about, breed and lay eggs on dead leaves and other debris in small, temporarily dry ponds. When autumn rains fill the ponds with water, the eggs will hatch.
IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be full on Thursday. Venus is low in the west at dusk. Rising in the east are Mars, just before midnight, and Jupiter and Saturn, just after dark. Saturn will appear near the moon Monday night.
Charles Seabrook can be reached at charles.seabrook@yahoo.com.
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