# New sighting for me!



## Rondevous (Mar 14, 2005)

Today I took a 5 mile walk in the woods.
I saw the normal stuff....eagles,deer ,turkey and a few snakes etc.
What really made it special was that I found Seven salamanders that I have looked for for over 35 years.
Today I found one and I was super excited but then as I turned over more logs and sheet bark I found even more.
In fact I found two side by side under some bark.
It's like the Holy Grail for me.
Here's a pic although all the pics could have come out better for sure.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Cool R.! Don't think I've ever seen a salamander. Neat stuff.


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

Nice picture


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

very cool. i've been seeing some lizards down here, don't think they are salamanders, maybe a version of a gecko? i dunno, i'm gonna try to get some pics, but they are wary little buggers. and no, they aren't the same as the ones in FL. they have a few stripes that follow their back.

great pic kirk! i've never seen one in the wild.... *sigh* maybe someday. hopefully one day i can spend as much time as you do in the woods.

CONGRATS ON THE FIND, I BET MOST SPORTSMAN LIVE THEIR ENTIRE LIVES WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING ONE.

steve


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## schaaed1 (Jan 20, 2003)

Pretty neat. We find them around here, but the 'spots' are a robbin egg blue color. Like most of you I had never seen one before untill we moved over here to the west side a few years back. We see them quite frequently now.

Ed


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

That is really great. Thanks for posting and sharing the experience. SGA provides alot of gems doesn't it


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## Mike Rathnow (Jun 29, 2004)

Never had the luck to find a spotted. I've seen blue spotted, marbled, small mouthed, 4 toed, and a whole lot of red back ones. Great Find!! :woohoo1:


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## Rondevous (Mar 14, 2005)

Mike, I need to find a small mouthed, marbled and tiger to complete my Michigan list.
As the temps warm I'll be looking for a Fox snake this year along with:a rattler and Hog nose to complete my snake list.
Dave the SGA really is a gem.
There's a clean up on April 23rd meet at the DNR station about 8-9 a.m. for those interested.
I'll be there.


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

need to find a massassauga? if you haven't seen one yet when i get back.... i got a place i can almost guarantee ya. some hognoses too. only place i've seen em.

steve


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## tangleknot (Oct 8, 2001)

Great pic and what a find! Not much get past you.  If it's out there, you'll find it.


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## StumpJumper (Nov 13, 2001)

Isn't that a jefferson salamander?


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## trouttime (Mar 30, 2004)

Kirk,
Very cool find, we see red back and blue spotted fequently at our place up-north. What species is that? I am one of those guys cursed with allergies so I dont fair well with fuzzy, furry, or feathery so I have always had reptiles. We have 3 currently, the coolest is the chinese water dragon, she will only go to the bathroom in her little pond so habitat is open and she roams the house at will with no mess. She is quite smart as far as reptiles go and has given many people quite the shock. Thanks for sharing kirk!


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## kcud rellik (Mar 9, 2005)

is this a rare salamander or something? me n my friends have found lots of those little things around michigan..? lots of them were like red with black stripes i think though. my dad found a huge black with yellow spotted one at work that was under a bunch of leaves and stuff. they are pretty cool to find though. Congrats!


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## Rondevous (Mar 14, 2005)

StumpJumper said:


> Isn't that a jefferson salamander?


Blue Spotted and Jeffersons are more slender and shorter in length.

The spotted although not "rare" is hard to find other than the spring breeding peroid, it tends to stay underground.
They may live 20 years.


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

well, i finally identified one of the "lizards" i've been seeing down here. one of em is the five lined skink:









i also saw a green anole on the fence outside a few mornings ago. 









the only thing close i can find to this thing i saw the other day would be just a HUGE gecko, but they dont' get that big so i'm still lookin. 

weird stuff down here. kinda neat other than the fact i almost stepped on a water moccasin yesterday.

i gotta start carrying a camera on me, these things are pretty shy for the most part, so the noise of me going into my apt and coming back out makes em head for crevises. LOTS of bluebirds down here too, impressive. but i only see them on the installation not near my apt and we can't take a camera onto the installation. bummer, cuz i'd like to get some pics of the bluebirds here, they are huge and the males are on full dress right now.

steve


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## BarryPatch (Jul 21, 2004)

Never seen one of those. Just the red ones and a lot of blue spotted salamanders on my property. 

Other than Garter snakes, this blue racer in my woodpile is the only one I've come accross.


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## Rondevous (Mar 14, 2005)

Nice snake!

Here's a better pic I took this afternoon.
I found three more salamanders today.
Didn't distrub them though, just snapped this one pic hoping it turned out better.


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

That is a great picture! WOW! Neat back drop witht the sproutings all over. Is that clover sprouts?

Thanks for sharing your hikes Kirk!


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## Rondevous (Mar 14, 2005)

It's a type of moss.


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