A Laterale move at best... 1-14-14

So, after last weeks chilly but ultimately successful excursion, the weather took a turn for the painful and we got a deep-freeze. Single digit temps... and lower. Bone chilling chilliness. It sucked. That Friday, however, the temperatures were going to get above freezing and Saturday was to hit 50°!! And rain heavily. We decided to wait until Sunday (mid-40s with no rain) to check for some salamanders... give ol' Mother Nature another day of thawing.

So on Sunday, January 12th, we packed up and headed out to Worcester. Hope for Springs springs eternal, so we hit the Cascades. Here's what it looked like...



Beautiful: check. Running: check. Cold as fuck: check.

We flipped in the icy water for an hour or so, but turned up nothing but frozen fingers. The air was warmer but the water still had plenty of ice and it was rushing pretty quickly.



Andrea flipped these eggs, half buried in the mud, under a rock next to the stream. Possible Dusky eggs? No Mom was around but it's possible. Slightly larger than slug eggs, we're hoping research will tell us what they are.


We decided to check out another nearby place that also has great Spring potential and should be running a bit more slowly. Actually, the place was also flowing pretty quickly, but we flipped and flipped and flipped, with nary a Two-Lined Larvae to show for it. Still, we're extremely excited to come here in the Spring... we discovered it late last year and are eager to see what treasures it holds in the warmer climes.



So, we left Worcester not defeated, but herpless.

Actually, the ideal day to herp would have been Monday, the 13th... the temps were again mild and the sun was out. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a snake pop his head out. But I had to work. Andrea too.

Tuesday the 14th, however, it was still mild and it was pouring. It looked like it would be our last chance for a while to see herps. Andrea had left work to go home sick... she has the grippe. Me? I ducked out early and took a quick walk through the rain... neglecting my beautiful wife and her illness and greedily herping in the rain.

I went to our favorite farm in Suffolk County and my hunch paid off. I found our First Of Year Blue Spotted Salamander!

And right next to him, our first Redback of the year!


So, I may be going to hell for herping when my wife is sick on the couch. And I might get fired for ditching work to see two salamanders. And I'll probably die from the inevitable cold I caught walking in the cool rain, but you know what? IT'S WORTH IT!

The Year of the Salamander (as we herpers are calling it) is off to a good start!