Springtime Ponds

The ponds of spring and early summer are alive with insects, amphibians and reptiles. Here are a few from yesterday’s pond survey.

As the weather warms, California red-legged frogs are more visible. This frog is a sub-adult.

The California red-legged frog is listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and is classified as Threatened. http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=D02D

Each pond has tadpoles, sometimes just tree frog and other times tadpoles of red-legged frog, western toad and tree-frogs.

Tree-frog tadpoles were present in every pond.

The California tiger salamander larvae we found were approaching about half the size of mature tiger salamanders. Their gills are apparent.

This cts larvae is not quite half  the adult size. All California tiger salamanders are listed as either Threatened or Endangered.  http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=D01T

A garter snake sunned itself on a floating log.

Garter snake.

This is a Pacific newt larvae that overwintered in the pond.

The ponds contained many dragonfly nymphs. At one pond a “squadron” on red dragonflies gave me a photo opportunity.

These red dragonflies appeared to be reproduction mode.

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California Tiger Salamander Metamorph

Talking about a California tiger salamander (CTS) metamorph, can be confusing. A metamorph is a CTS that is in the late stages of morphing from a pond-dwelling guilled larvae, to an adult. How do you view a metaphorph? I don’t know many people who have. Calafornia tiger salamanders (CTS) morph into an adult form (typically), three to six months after egg laying. Once they no longer have guills, they become a land animal and walk away from the breeding site in search of some type of underground burrow in which to live. Around here, burrows of California ground squirrels are most likely targets.

According to sources, the CTS usually leave the pond during the cover of darkness. However, earlier today I discovered one taking a hike during broad daylight on a cool, foggy morning. This discovery was a first for me. I have never seen a CTS metamorph before today.

Here he is in all his glory.

This guy was found on top of a ridge on a gravel road, about 150 yards directly up a steep hill from the nearest possible breeding site.

The young CTS was about four inches long. I didn’t think to put my knife in the photo next to him for comparison. I was kind of in a state of shock, and then another hiker came along with two dogs and I didn’t want to get the little guy killed.

However, I did get several reasonable photos with my iphone.

Here’s one more shot.

He was mostly the green color of the pond living guilled version, but was beginning to develop spots.

If you click on the photo it will enlarge.

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Spring in the Altamont

We remained a ways off from the burrowing owls, not to disturb them.

Joe spotted a couple Swainson’s hawks gliding high overhead. Red-tails were hanging around a stand of eucalyptus trees and a ferruginous hawk was spotted on the horizon. 

Several Swainsons hawks passed high overhead.

 Joe also found a young king snake under a board. We took quite a few photos of the willing snake.

 

We found this very small king snake under a board.

 

 Burrowing owls were in their usual haunts. It was a nice day to observe.

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Night Search for Salamanders

Nice boots.

 

Searched for California tiger salamanders in the middle of the night last weekend. Took my daughter Betsy along for company. Her question, “Does it make you nervous walking around in the dark at night?”

My answer, “No, except when I don’t know where I am.”

Darkness is a fun adventure when you’re in you comfort zone. The more time you spend out at night, the more you can enjoy the medium. And, you can find more critters in the dark.

We didn’t find the salamanders, but we found a couple western toads and a few California red-legged frogs. One pair was in amplexus, a scientist’s word for mating.

Toads will soon be laying eggs in the nearby ponds.

 

California red-legged frogs in amplexus.

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California Tiger Salamander Breeding Activity

December and January are typically the months when seasonal pools begin to fill up. As the ground saturates and water levels rise, the California tiger salamanders come out of their dry season hides and seek out ponds for breeding.

This CTS in swimming in a few inches of clear water. Note the structure. In this pond, eggs are disbursed.

The females lay single eggs and the males come along behind them to make them fertile. The eggs are laid singly, but sometimes so close to each other that they appear to be in the same gel. Here are a few photos of this seasons crop.

This is the classic single CTS egg. When a pond has a lot of structure, eggs seem to be distributed more evenly about the pond and may be more difficult to find.

 (double click to enlarge for closer look)

When structure is limited, the salamanders will lay eggs close to each other.

Sometimes, when eggs are laid next to each other, the gel almost combines giving the appearance that more that one egg was laid in a single mass of gel.

This CTS breeding pond is on the rise. It will need additional rain in order for it to last until the larvae are mature.

 

 

This larvae was photographed in summer when it was nearly ready to depart into the upland.

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A Walk Around a Revived Pond

Two summers ago we repaired the dam on one of our best ponds. It was also filled with bass and bluegill, something that gave use pleasure on many occasions. However, as we prepared to make this parcel ready for a conservation easement for endangered species, we were required to remove the fish.

We pumped the pond dry last fall and all the fish died. Of course we invited some friends to come up and catch as many fish as possible first, but they only caught a small portion of what the pond held. The rest  were sentenced to flop on the ground until dead.

Nearly a year later, we circled the pond, me with camera in hand. Here’s what we found.

A juvenile red-legged frog sat at pond's edge - ready to hop into the pond for protection.

A large California tiger salamander larvae floated near the surface.

There were juvenile CRFs along the shore and in the pond.

Here's a CRF tadpole with legs.

Here's a good look at a California newt larvae. Much smaller than the CTS.

As we watched a red-legged frog tadpole turned on it’s side, swam in circles and floated to the surface dead.

This tadpole died right before our eyes.

From bad to worse. Not long after that we found the remains of the young buck. I guess that’s life and death at the former fish pond. The good news? It was the first time in many years that any of the above critters survived in the pond, as the fish did a very good job of consuming all of them.

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California Tiger Salamander Larvae

We repaired the dam on this pond last fall.

Last weekend we checked out one of our ponds in search of California Tiger Salamander (CTS) larvae. The pond has all the qualities we look for in a CTS pond. One key is that it’s on a south-facing slope that gets lots of sun, warming the water generating lots of CTS prey. Tadpoles are in good supply and so are the CTS this year.

CTS larvae were suspended about one to two feet under the water surface. The water was relatively clear and many of the CTS were close enough to the surface to allow photographing. This is usually not the case as muddy water and weeds often hide the larvae from view.

The larvae generally stay at depths that provide protection from predators.

A few of the larvae cruised near the surface.

This larvae is about four inches long and it appears that it will be morphing into an adult pretty soon.

As the larvae get closer to leaving the pond, they breathe air and come to the surface to gulp. I caught one in the act.

CTS larvae gulp air as they begin to morph into adults.

Since protecting CTS is one of our objectives, it was satisfying to see so many CTS surviving to reach this near-adult stage.

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Ranch Ponds in Spring

During March, April and May, the ranch ponds come alive. The early breeders are tiger salamanders, tree frogs and newts. Shortly thereafter come the red-legged frogs. Although you seldom see the adults in winter, their eggs appear each March.

The red-legged frog eggs are well developed.

California newts breed in the ponds and are particularly abundant in ponds that hold water throughout the year.

 As early as December, the tiger salamanders lay their individual eggs on grass stems and small branches. By May, the larvae are sometimes visible in ponds. On a good year like this, the ponds blossom in tadpoles and insects. The salamanders grow rapidly.

When they're abundant and the water's clear, you can sometimes spot the larvae.

By April, the garter snakes arrive and chase down tadpoles and salamander. They are impressive swimmers.

When the garter snakes find the ponds, they feed voraciously.

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