Campaign for Class Mascot

For those of you who were in lab with me you may have picked up on the fact that ambystomatid salamanders are my favorite herps, and I'm certain Dr. Welch knows this for sure. My bias runs deep with these extraordinary animals, so it seems fitting that I nominate one of them as our class mascot.

The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) would make an excellent mascot, and was adopted as the state amphibian of South Carolina in 1999.

Since its inception into this illustrious position, the spotted salamander has been showing up all over the state providing children with lessons in science, grad students with thesis projects, and other amphibians and reptiles with fashion advice and gossip about the best local hangouts, such as the Francis Marion National Forest and Santee State Forest. Their ancestral life history and biphasic life style gives them the knowledge of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, making them the most obvious well rounded candidate in this campaign.

Vote for the spotted salamander!

(Ryan M. Wenzel, Charleston, SC)