Eggs!

On April 2nd, 2009, our herpetology class drove to Indian Creek Park in Reily, Ohio. It was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with a few clouds and a nice breeze. These eggs were found in a small stream off of the main creek (that wound its way into the woods) and contained a few inches of water, and lots of leaf litter. This small offshoot contained many limestones of various sizes, many of which had salamander eggs attached to the underside.

We concluded that these eggs belonged to the streamside salamander, Ambystoma barbouri. The first reason was that we found an adult underneath of a medium sized limestone just a few feet away from where this picture was taken (see a previous post). The second reason was based on how this species lays its eggs-- individually attached to the underside of rocks (which are usually limestone).

Courtship and mating both occur underwater underneath limestone rocks during the early spring and late winter. A gravid femal can lay upwards of 260 eggs. Eggs are laid individually, and are attached beneath the rocks in the water for two to three weeks, until they hatch. The larvae will then spend anywhere from six to ten weeks there before they metamorphose. The terrestrial individuals migrate away from the breeding site and into nearby forests.

It would be interesting to go back to that site now-- there are probably many tiny streamside salamanders with external gills!

Catherine Ade
Miami University