I want to share what I enjoyed the most about my first trip to Meeman-State Park (February 11th). We hiked a good deal in the woods to three separate ponds while searching for herps. This might sound crazy but I really thought it was fun to suit up in waders and actually climb into the ponds with the species. We didn’t see much in the larger, permanent ponds but I managed to knock over quite a tall, skinny tree while grabbing hold of it to prevent me from falling in. Ultimately we decided it would make a good basking log for the turtles in the months ahead and I apologized to the species currently residing there for disturbing their environment/habitat. We did catch a few larvae swimming around and they were identified as Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) larvae based on the time of year and the spotted salamanders reproduction overlap. Our TA informed the few of us that it was very difficult to identify salamander larvae and that we wouldn’t be held responsible for knowing this but I still found it interesting to observe. I thought that it would be a fun experience to share and I encourage everyone (if possible) grab some waders and dive in, well not literally!
Serena Babin
Memphis, TN.
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