Feathers and Scales: Susquehanna County Herps

On Saturday, October 4th, 2014, my friend, my dad and I went up to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania to meet up with a Herpetologist to do a herp blitz. It took place in Salt Springs State Park on the north border of the County. When we got there, he told us what areas we were going to be looking in and then we headed off. We started in a small stream near the visitors center. The first salamander that we caught was a Northern Slimy Salamander. We then kept flipping rocks along the stream bed turning up another Northern Slimy Salamander, multiple Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamanders, an Eastern Red-backed Salamander, and many Northern Two-lined Salamanders.

Northern Slimy Salamander

Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander

After searching through the stream, we went to another more wooded area of the park. Soon after we got there, we had come across a huge abundance of Red Efts crossing the path. We watched our step and carefully placed all of the Efts that we saw on the side of the path that they were heading towards. Along the trail we also saw a Spring Peeper and we flipped many other Northern Slimy Salamanders, Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, and Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamanders. Sadly, the last herp, and only snake, of the day was a dead Northern Red-bellied Snake. However, it was still a great day.