Suburban wildlife

[urbpan]

I picked up a big piece of Dedham granite with the intention of hurling it at the center of a section of yew wood, in order to break it into firewood size. I noticed a moist worm under the rock, then paused realizing that the worm was actually two salamanders.

Despite the color difference between these, they are the same species, Plethodon cinereus, the "red-backed salamander." The one here that is not red-backed might be called a lead-backed salamander, as in the color of lead, the metal. Growing up in western New England, turning over rocks and logs I saw hundreds of redbacks, but I can't remember seeing the lead-backed phase. I discussed this with some of last week's Urban Nature Walk participants, and consensus seemed to be that lead-backs are more common in eastern New England.

Throughout New England, and much of North America, this species is far and away the most numerous of the tailed amphibians, particularly in those ecosystems affected by human impacts. These small lungless creatures are predators of tiny invertebrates. They survive by keeping moist and allowing oxygen to dissolve directly into their bodies through their skin.