On Tuesday March 22, 2011 our herp class went to Francis Marion National Park in South Carolina. We started down the Ion Swamp trail but didn't stay on the dirt trail long. We picked up our nets, hoes and buckets and went tromping off into the swamp. P.D over turned logs while I scoured the trees for lizards. I found a little Anole ( Anolis carolinensis) but it thwarted my attempts at catching it. I'm not nearly as fast or agile as a tiny tree lizard. My friend caught a great little Spring Peeper ( Pseudacris crucifer) and we had fun taking pictures of that. I was getting frustrated with my lack of finds but in the world of herpetology you just have to be patient and consistent. After turning over numerous logs, this little Slimy Salamander (Plethodon variolatus) caught my eye. I may not be as swift as an anole but apparently I am as speedy as this short limbed slimy guy. After over turning the old, decaying log, the salamander attempted escape under the numerous decaying leaves. I dug through the leaves and found him again. I knew I had succeeded in the capture when my hand clamped down on a cold, slimy, squiggling thing. I know it sounds wrong to explain the feeling as slimy-sticky but that is exactly what he was like. He slip and slided through my grip but left a very sticky, glue-like substance behind. He was hard to hold onto but I was still picking the gluey, slime off my hands hours later. As you can see, this is a fully metamorphosed adult and has no gill slits which is the case with all Subfamily Plethodon salamanders. Because of this, he must live in moist habitats, like under a log, to keep his skin moist for cutaneous respiration. I returned him to his old log and continued on my search for South Carolina herps. (Vanessa Skinner, Charleston, SC)