Salamander lays eggs in secluded forest pond
- 11 months ago
Yellow-spotted salamanders are a rare sight. Although many of them are in the area surrounding vernal pools in many forests throughout North America, they spend most of their lives burrowed underground. It is rare to catch a glimpse of one out in the open.
But each year, shortly after the ice melts on ponds like this one, the salamanders migrate here in droves, ready to mate and lay eggs underwater. The males arrive first, dropping their spermatophores on the submerged leaves. The females come next, picking up the clusters and taking them into their bodies to fertilize the eggs. She then selects a stalk of vegetation or a stick to attach the eggs.
This videographer went to the local pond each night to watch the salamander migration, the mating frenzy, and the egg laying. It takes place each spring over several days. This female gripped a plant stalk and laid eggs over 2-3 hours. The eggs emerged and clung to the branch, remaining for 6-8 weeks until they hatch.
After the mating, the salamanders leave the pond as abruptly as they arrive. They return to their refuge under the leaves or the soil, living a solitary life, feeding on worms and insects, until it is time to gather again next spring.
Spotted salamander eggs hatch in 4-8 weeks. The eggs are incredibly unique. The female lays two specific types. In one cluster, the gelatinous mass is a water-soluble protein that allows oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange as the embryos develop. The other part of her cluster is surrounded by a thick group comprising a crystalline hydrophobic protein. It inhibits oxygen exchange, but these eggs share a symbiotic relationship with an alga that grows within the eggs. The algae produce energy and oxygen through photosynthesis, which the embryos use. The algae consume the carbon dioxide the sources produce, as is the ammonia produced within the egg. This is the waste product that would harm the eggs. This is the only known genuine symbiotic relationship between an algae and a vertebrate animal. The two types of egg masses are believed to ensure survival in the presence of predators such as wood frogs. The wood frogs will not consume two kinds of eggs.
Spotted salamanders play an essential role in the food chain as they are a significant food source for foxes, raccoons, and other forest dwellers.
But each year, shortly after the ice melts on ponds like this one, the salamanders migrate here in droves, ready to mate and lay eggs underwater. The males arrive first, dropping their spermatophores on the submerged leaves. The females come next, picking up the clusters and taking them into their bodies to fertilize the eggs. She then selects a stalk of vegetation or a stick to attach the eggs.
This videographer went to the local pond each night to watch the salamander migration, the mating frenzy, and the egg laying. It takes place each spring over several days. This female gripped a plant stalk and laid eggs over 2-3 hours. The eggs emerged and clung to the branch, remaining for 6-8 weeks until they hatch.
After the mating, the salamanders leave the pond as abruptly as they arrive. They return to their refuge under the leaves or the soil, living a solitary life, feeding on worms and insects, until it is time to gather again next spring.
Spotted salamander eggs hatch in 4-8 weeks. The eggs are incredibly unique. The female lays two specific types. In one cluster, the gelatinous mass is a water-soluble protein that allows oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange as the embryos develop. The other part of her cluster is surrounded by a thick group comprising a crystalline hydrophobic protein. It inhibits oxygen exchange, but these eggs share a symbiotic relationship with an alga that grows within the eggs. The algae produce energy and oxygen through photosynthesis, which the embryos use. The algae consume the carbon dioxide the sources produce, as is the ammonia produced within the egg. This is the waste product that would harm the eggs. This is the only known genuine symbiotic relationship between an algae and a vertebrate animal. The two types of egg masses are believed to ensure survival in the presence of predators such as wood frogs. The wood frogs will not consume two kinds of eggs.
Spotted salamanders play an essential role in the food chain as they are a significant food source for foxes, raccoons, and other forest dwellers.