Aquatic Critters; Vernal Pools!

On one of the beautiful spring days last week, we walked some trails near the Ausable River. The Eastern Newt, or Red-spotted Newt has 2 rows of dark-ringed, orangey/red spots. Adults are aquatic. During the larvae stage, they are terrestrial.

https://ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/red-spotted-newt/

Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that are usually found in forests during the spring and late fall. Most dry up in the summer, but the one in the above picture probably has standing water throughout the summer months. A lot of life could be seen swimming in the waters.

We sat by the large vernal pool for a lunch break. As I scoured the area, I noticed a mating pair of Spring Peepers! 

A Red Flat Bark Beetle decided to join me for lunch! They look like they have been pressed down and smashed. Little is known about their life history, but they are believed to eat other insects found in and under tree bark.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Red-Flat-Bark-Beetle

Yellow-spotted Salamanders live in dense forests where the soil is moist and covered with dry leaves, bushy shrubs, etc. They take shelter in deserted burrows of other animals, crevices, or under logs and large rocks.

https://www.animalspot.net/spotted-salamander.html