Friends of Murphys Point Park

Species of the Week: Blue-Spotted Salamander

Screen Shot 2020-08-15 at 12.54.07 PM This week we’re going to spend a year in the life of the Blue-spotted Salamander. In the early spring, Blue-spotted Salamanders emerge from their overwintering sites and begin their journey to breeding habitats such as vernal pools and wetlands. Once there, adult salamanders mate underwater and later lay up to 200 eggs. About a month later, the eggs hatch and larvae emerge. Larvae spend part of the summer in the water with gills and a tail eating aquatic insects and crustaceans. Once they have developed legs, the now juvenile salamanders leave the wetland and begin residing on the forest floor foraging for insects and worms at night and using logs, rocks, and leaf litter for protection. As they enter adulthood, Blue-spotted Salamanders darken to be almost black, develop more blue spots along their sides, and reach a length of up to 16cm. As winter approaches, salamanders must find a suitable place to spend the cold winter months — commonly using mammal burrows and root cavities.

Species of the Week: The Blanding’s Turtle

Our species this week is quite recognizable. Sporting a yellow chin and neck, the Blanding’s Turtle is easily identified — however, they are rarely seen. In fact, Blanding’s Turtles spend most of their time underwater and out of sight. Fittingly, it was a thrill to find this turtle near a wetland at the entrance to Fallows Campground earlier this summer! Their habitat ranges from shallow lakes and marshes to streams, and rivers, sometimes extending three kilometres between their summer, winter, and nesting sites. Since Murphys Point hosts a diverse network of wetland environments, it is the perfect home for Blanding’s Turtles. Hopefully, you get the chance to admire a Blanding’s Turtle up close, maybe while helping it to cross the road safely. Who knows, you might even be lucky enough to stumble upon a Blanding’s Turtle nesting site, like our Store Clerk who sees the same female laying eggs each Spring! Interestingly, Blanding’s Turtles do not usually lay eggs until they reach 20-25 years of age, often breeding for the rest of their lifetime — which can be over 75 years!