Salamander Saturday at Viles Arboretum - Join us May 2nd at 10am for a slow walk where we will move slowly through the Arboretum’s key wetland habitats, pausing frequently to identify and observe local salamanders. We are proud to register as an official site for the Foundation for the Conservation of Salamanders (FCSal) global initiative.
Have you ever flipped over a mossy log and found a sleek, wide-eyed salamander looking back at you? That small moment of wonder is exactly what Salamander Saturday is all about!
Salamanders are not newcomers to the neighborhood. Fossil records place them on Earth over 160 million years ago - meaning they shared the forests with dinosaurs and have remained remarkably unchanged ever since. Today, over 750 known species populate the world, and the United States is home to more of them than any other country.
Right here is the Northeast, woodland salamanders - the Plethodontids - are quietly one of the most abundant vertebrates in our forests. They're beneath our feet in the leaf litter, tucked under stones along the brook, and threading through root systems most of us never notice.
Salamanders hold some genuinely remarkable biological abilities that scientists are still working to fully understand. They can regenerate lost limbs, tails, and even parts of their heart and brain. Many species breath through their skin, which must stay moist at all times. Specialized glands secrete mucus to help them respire and stay hydrated. This is one of the reasons you're most likely to find them on damp, overcast days, or near water. Most salamanders hunt with a projectile sticky tongue, frog-style, shooting it out to snatch invertebrates before you'd even notice the strike.
Amphibians are now the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet, according to the 2023 State of the World's Amphibians Report from the IUCN. 41% of species are facing extinction. Among amphibians, salamanders are the most at risk. 3 our of every 5 species are currently threatened. Their ecological importance is hard to overstate. Salamanders are a critical link in forest food webs - preying on invertebrates that would otherwise consume the lead litter, and serving as prey for birds, snakes, and small mammals. By keeping invertebrate populations in check, they help lock carbon into the soil rather than releasing it to the atmosphere. They're also a living bridge between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. When larvae metamorphose and move onto land, they carry a pulse of nutrients with them.
