A SALAMANDER IN DECEMBER - An Excellent Steemit Photo Shoot Opportunity
This would not have happened back up in Wisconsin, but now that I'm in Arkansas, I guess it can! Finding a salamander is December is a new experience for @papa-pepper!
I love to see and observe so many of the creatures crawling around, and amphibians are no exception. Often, when an ecosystem begins to become polluted, the amphibians are the first ones to die off, because they are often at least semi-aquatic and can also absorb many things through their moist skin.
I have been very impressed with the large population of amphibians in the area here, and with the large variety as well.
This kind of salamander is called the Ringed Salamander, for obvious reasons. The scientific name is Ambystoma annulatum, and it is a member of the Mole Salamander family. They can only be found in a few states like Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, so it's nice to get the chance to meet them. I've found a few this year. Here are some more photos of the December one that I found.
Here is an older picture from many months ago of a few that we found. I like to observe, show and teach the children, photograph and then release. It's good for us, and best for them. Trying to keep wild creatures in captivity is not a good idea, and I'd hate to keep them for more than a few moments and risk their death.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-december-salamander
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Wow! Amazing pictures! I haven't ever seen salamanders before :)
Look at those tiny, tiny little toes! So fragile. It's neat to come across a salamander. They seem so different, from another world that lizards, for sure.
With a warm spell during winter, a lot of the reptiles and amphibians come out to warm up, there in Arkansas. I have come across a sunning Cottonmouth in January, in the Greers Ferry area. I think the turtles dig in for winter a little more seriously, though. I hope you come across a box turtle just digging up from hibernation sometime.
I so love the kinds of Box Turtles that they have around here!
They are gorgeous ones. I think you have both kinds of common box turtle there - the Eastern and the Three-toes. You may even have the Ornate Box Turtle. So many good reptiles and amphibians in your area. My parents saw a 6-foot Black Snake sunning on their driveway just yesterday. He better get to cover!
DID I HEAR 6' BLACK SNAKE?
They should be the Arkansas State Snake! That's a nice looking one!
It had probably even lost about 8 inches of it's tail, so it used to be longer!
I've heard that if they bite you they can suck the manliness right out of you. Be careful!
Resteemed
Great post, Papa Pepper! Thanks for sharing your salamander observations with us :)
Thanks for sharing!
@kus-knee (The Old Dog)
Beautiful pictures my great friend, @papa-pepper congratulations
Excellent photos. You'd probably like our geckos here in the part of the Philippines where I live. They can grow to almost as big as your arm, head to tail. They start out small and find their way into the house. We let them stick around because they help kill mosquitoes and other bugs. They always move to the outdoors permanently on their own after they reach a certain size.
Cool! We get skinks around here...some of them get pretty big, there were a couple in my driveway about a foot long. I'm also happy not to be in Wisconsin anymore...too damned cold!