Spring 2002 Field Trip to Boone, NC

J.D. Willson, Kristine Grayson, David Stroupe, and Dr. Dorcas took a trip to Boone, NC in April 2002 to present at the annual meetings of the Association of Southeastern Biologists. While they were there they got to do some field herping, particularly focused on the amazing salamanders of the NC mountains. Over two nights they found 13 species of amphibians, 11 of which were salamanders.

Our first stop were some creeks and seeps along the Blue Ridge Parkway...

What a view!	first we checked out a creek and found...
some beautiful blue-ridge two-lined salamanders (Eurycea wilderae)		mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognatus orestes)
and some HUGE blackbellied salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus)		even a few jordans salamanders (Plethodon jordani)
Next we tried a few seeps and found...		more blackbellied salamanders
Seal salamanders (Desmognathus monticola) in almost every crevice		and more mountain duskys, very variable in color

The next night it rained so we tried road cruising...

first stop was a wetland with a full chorus of spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer)	Shortly after, we spot something red on the road
a RED SALAMANDER! (Pseudotriton ruber)		by the end of the night we had found several
We also saw several BIG spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) crossing the road.		and a big american toad (Bufo americanus)
and my favorite... spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)		bye bye

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