2019 SPARCnet Report

We did the six SPARCnet censuses this year, plus on July 26 we hosted Tin Mountain’s Tamworth Trailblazers for a mid-summer census. We had a total of 128 “captures”: 116 striped red-backs, 9 lead-backs and 3 spotted salamanders. The frequency of lead-backs is consistent with what we would expect in this climate zone. The hardwood dominated Waddy plot consistently produces two to three times as many salamanders as the pine dominated Earle plot. Again, this is consistent with known habitat preferences of red-back salamanders.

We are perfecting our measuring skills (lengths and weights) and in another year or two we should have enough data to compare seasonal and morphotype differences.

SB = striped-back; LB = lead-back; AMMA = ambystoma maculatum (spotted salamander)

Tamworth Conservation Commission

The website of the Tamworth Conservation Commission of Tamworth, NH, USA.

Some really neat red-backed salamander trivia:

A study at Hubbard Brook in Thornton, NH estimated 1135 red-backed salamanders per acre.
The red-backed salamander is the only amphibian in New Hampshire that does not use an aquatic habitat at any time during its life cycle. A true land lubber.
Most salamanders just lay their eggs and split but the female red-backed salamander will guard it's eggs and young until they are two weeks old.
The red-backed salamander can be any one of eight different morphotypes (color schemes). We have two different morphotypes in the Remick Natural Area (striped back and lead-back).
Red-backed salamanders eat ticks. Ya gotta love em for that.

Learn more about red-backed salamanders on the internet.

AmphibiaWeb. This site is thorough, intensive and technical.

All Things Amphibian. An easier read, written by students at Susquehana University.