Long-toed salamander


It's nice to get out into the backcountry once in a while.  Although I find my fair share of creatures in more populated areas, the fact is that nature is less disturbed the farther one gets away from civilization.

While walking with a friend today out in a wild area northeast of Kelowna, I uncovered a small juvenile salamander while searching for creatures hidden beneath forest litter.  Uncertain at the time of its species, I photographed it with my cell phone and hoped to identify it later when I had access to my various field guides.  Peterson's Field Guide on Western Reptiles and Amphibians helped identify it as a long-toed salamander.

These amphibians can grow up to 17 cm, or just over six inches.  This one just fit in the palm of my hand and would have been around 6 cm at the most.  There are a number of other salamanders that look similar to it, but the long toe on the hind foot was a giveaway (see image below).  This is the first one I have ever found.

Thanks to April for the walk in the backcountry.  Next time out I hope to find some tiger salamanders - I have been searching for these for a long time.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hang in there, things will get better.

Image
The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment is so important.  Instead of looking forward
Read more

Happy to be alive - enjoy the moment

Image
My daughter, Leanne, enjoying our hike on Knox Mountain in Kelowna Each of us goes through hills and valleys, sometimes even mountains and canyons, on our sojourn through life.  Joyous moments seem to last but an instant while depressing lows can crawl along at the pace of a handicapped snail.  Fortunately, it seems, that the bulk of life is about maintenance and upkeep, of both self and invested interests.  It is during that metaphoric walk on the plains of life that an abrupt change in topography occurs, often without warning. I love my daughter.  As a parent, I have watched her grow and borne witness to those life events that have both blessed and haunted her.  Where my wife and I could, we have supported her in the difficult times and celebrated with her in the good.  I would like to think that we have made the valleys less daunting and the peaks even higher.   A recent personal setback has left her reeling, yet she still finds moments to enjoy life and enjoy those things that it o
Read more

Working out life's problems.

Image
Kathryn and Eric - together for 35 years. Whoever said life is easy hasn't been alive for very long.  Yes, although there may be times when everything sails along very nicely, the truth is that hardship is just around the corner, in both directions. The essence of the problem is that we are imperfect beings and we live in an imperfect world.  Bad things happen, both to us and those we care about.  We make decisions and take actions that others may oppose or be hurt by.  Even when, after much thought and research, we do what we think is best or right, our opinions or behaviours are not approved by those we love.  People get hurt, and sometimes the hurt leads to serious repercussions.   I can say that Kathryn and I are happily married.  But I can also say that our relationship has gone through difficult moments.  A great deal of the challenges we have faced have come about because of differences in opinion, differences in problem management, and difficulties in effective communicatio
Read more