One of TWELVE Red Spotted Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), I saw this day! It had just rained, and they seemed to be really enjoying it! This little guy in particular stole my heart. He was a feisty little feller! And adventurous too! There was this big mossy boulder, which was quite a mountain to him… I watched him climb it… then tumble down…. then climb it again… then tumble down again… and finally, he made it to the top and chilled there for awhile. Determination can go a long way… even if you’re a tiny little creature! ❤
Upon first glance, one could easily mistake the Amphiuma for a kind of eel, but it is in fact an enormous aquatic salamander. Closer inspection will reveal 4 tiny limbs, with 1-3 little toes (dependent on the species). Of the 3 species, the Three-toed is the largest, attaining a length up up to 41 inches (104.14 cm).
These highly carnivorous amphibians feed on a wide variety of small aquatic creatures, and can deliver a rather painful and bloody bite with a pair or sharp oral bone ridges. Amphiuma mothers stay with their eggs in a muddy underwater nest. Unlike other salamanders, they are known to make a squeaky bark like noise, when disturbed.
All 3 species (Three-toed, Two-toed, and One-toed) are exclusive still and slow moving bodies of fresh water in the Southeastern United States. They retain their gills, in a pair of small gill chambers, into adulthood (allowing them to breathe with both gills and a very rudimentary set of lungs).
23 Nuns Fight For the Survival of an Endangered Mexican Salamander
This is the Lake Pátzcuaro salamander. It is a critically endangered
species. Overhunting, habitat destruction, and invasive exotic fish have
brought the salamander to the brink of extinction. Recent studies
revealed that fewer than 100 are left in the wild.
But a group of 23
nuns in Mexico teamed up with other International experts to try and
save the species. The nuns live in a convent nearby and have used the
salamanders to make cough syrup for more than 150 years. Now they’re
breeding them not only to keep their tradition alive, but also to save
the amphibians from extinction.
Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico is the only
place in the world these salamanders can be found. Experts say the nuns
will play a pivotal role in the survival of the species.
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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