About 3 weeks ago, with some snow still lingering along the roadside shoulders, I saw my first amphibians of 2024. It was a rainy evening and I had a feeling that the warmer temperatures would prompt a few out of their winter slumber. The size of the frogs I saw indicated to me that they were spring peepers, some of the first to get active in late winter. I saw three hopping across an East Penn Township road that evening. They were a reminder that some of the frogs’ cousins, the salamanders, “awaken early” too.

Pennsylvania has 22 species of salamanders, 13 of which can be found in the Times News area. I have seen 11 of them in my lifetime. One, the redback salamander, is very common and can even be found in some of our local towns. You might find them under a backyard steppingstone or board lying in your lawn.

Salamanders belong to Class Amphibia. The word amphibian is derived from the Greek word Amphibios, which means living a double life. They spend part of their lives in water and some of it on land. Most begin their lives in water, essentially as an embryo, where they feed and develop slowly and undergo metamorphosis to transform into an adult.

Spring is the time when most of our salamanders find their way to water to mate and lay their eggs. Some, like the spotted salamander, seldom come above ground except for this purpose. As you are reading this column some are already laying eggs to ensure that another generation will take their place. There is no parental care, and much like frogs, which lay hundreds of eggs, only a few survive to breed next spring.

If you wish to find some salamanders, try lifting a few flat stones or turning over a rotting log. Since most need to keep their skin moist, they seek refuge from the heat and dry air by being nocturnal, living underground, or hiding under objects during the day. Mole salamanders, like the spotted and marbled salamanders remain underground almost all their lives. The redback and red salamander are types of lungless salamanders and they respire through their skin, and like fish gills, must remain moist for this to occur. Take a look at a few photos I have taken and see if you may have actually seen some of them in your outdoor travels.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: When a young bird begins breaking out of its shell, it is called: A. engorging; B. gouging; C. pecking; D. pipping.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: The very adaptable and aggressive starling spread across the U.S. in 30 years.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.