Oh Salamander

The pools, the pools, are calling

Oh Salamander

Oh salamander the pools, the pools are calling
From in among the forest dark and deep
The winter’s gone and April rains are falling
Tis you, tis you must wake up from your sleep

But there’s so many roads to cross along the journey
From woods to vernal pools where you will breed
But we’ll be there to help you to cross safely
Oh salamander, salaman you are so sweet

Amphibians are in danger and are dying
So we teach our children to walk lightly on the land
We hope they’ll kneel at the place where you are hiding
And gently hold your tender bodies in their hands

We will sing of how soft you tread below us
And we will work to be the beings you can trust
And hopefully we’re learning from you not to rush
Oh salamander, salaman you are so loved
And hopefully we’re learning from you not to rush
Oh salamander, salaman you are so loved

Red Eft / Notophthalmus viridescens

The Spotted Newts have an interesting life cycle: Eggs (attached to aquatic vegetation), aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (Red Eft above), and aquatic adult. This is a photo from a Big Night on April 26th of 2025.

Spotted Salamander next to my boot / Ambystoma maculatum

Also from April 26th is this beautiful Spotted Salamander, about 6 inches long. They are very docile and easy to pick up and carry to vernal pools. Their bellies are so soft.

Red-backed Salamander feeding on a worm / Plethodon cinereus

Red-backed Salamanders tend to be out on Big Nights hunting. We found this one feeding on a worm. Red-backs do not have lungs and breathe only through their skin. The males leave spermatophores on forest floor debris and the females come along and collect the sperm into their cloacas. Eggs are laid in a clump on the underside of a log or other cover. The young emerge from the eggs fully developed.

So this explains why just today when I was teaching a 4th grade class about vernal pools and amphibians some students found an inch-long Red-back. Adults are typically between 2 1/4 and 4 1/2 inches long. This was the first time I’ve seen a youngster. Yes, adorable.

Of Pools and People, a Maine vernal pool organization, states that:

Vernal pools and adjacent upland habitats contribute a vast amount of biodiversity to landscapes of the northeastern United States. However, due to their small size, and a variety of other issues, these habitats are disproportionately impacted by development trends associated with regional urban and economic growth. As a result, vernal pools— and the species that depend on them—are disappearing at a rapid rate. We must come to terms with the complexities that surround the protection of vernal pools.

I mentioned Maine Big Night in my last post. If you are interested in helping to protect amphibians, I highly suggest checking out the site.

Today was another fun day with students at Hidden Valley Nature Center finding salamanders, a Snapping Turtle, frogs, huge Bullfrog tadpoles just starting to develop back legs, a baby Painted Turtle, Spotted Salamander and Wood Frog egg masses, and Spotted Newts. There was so much glee, amazement, and appreciation for all of these creatures. So much love.

The melody of this song is from the 1918 ballad, “Oh Danny Boy,” written by Frederic Weatherly. Some of the original lyrics are woven into the new lyrics. I was playing this song at nursing homes in March when I came up with the idea for Oh Salamander.

Thank you for taking the time to listen.

Spring Peeper / Pseudacris crucifer