The Spotted Salamander feeds largely upon insects, slugs, snails, and 
     
     worms. It hibernates on land and has been known to live for up to 24 years 
     
     under ideal conditions. 
     
    
   
   
    
          
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     5m  
     
    

    
     q a W  ._ 
     
    

    
     Ran—spartan um .. _,  
     
     : Llfi'lf 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
          
     
        
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
    
   
   
    
     The Red—spotted Newt may reach a 
     
     length of 5 1/2 inches (14 cm.). Its 
     
     life history usually includes a 
     
     terrestrial stage after transformation 
     
     when it is referred to as an eft. The 
     
     eft is rough-skinned, ranging in 
     
     colour from brown to red and it 
     
     usually has a row of black-circled red . 
     
     spots on each side. The eft phase may last 
     
     from one to three years before they 
     
     reach maturity and move to temporary 
     
     ponds or lakes to breed. a” 
     
    

    
     With the return to a water habitat, the body form changes to include an 
     
     upper and lower central tail fin which is largest in males. Thirteen percent 
     
     of the adults lacked spots in Cook’s (1967) collection. The males also 
     
     acquire black horny growths on the inner surfaces of the hind legs and 
     
     toes-tips. If the pond dries up, the adult may re-acquire the terrestrial 
     
     characteristics. 
     
    

    
     Courtship is fairly elaborate in the Red-spotted Newt with males 
     
     utilizing combinations of visual recognition, smell, and touch to court a 
     
     female. If the female is receptive to these charms, she will pick up the 
     
     spermatophore deposited by the male. The eggs are subsequently laid singly 
     
     along the stems of submerged plants. Breeding activity may be quite prolonged 
     
     as pairs have been collected into July. 
     
    
   
   
    
     RBDBACK SALAHBNDER 
     
    
   
   
    
     This lungless salamander species has two primary colour forms. The 
     
     redback variant is by far the most common on the Island. It has a straight 
     
     reddish, orange, yellow, or light grey back stripe running from the base of 
     
     the head to its tail. This central back stripe is bordered by dark pigment 
     
     that extends down its sides. The back and sides of the leadback colour 
     
     variant are uniformly dark grey. A third, very rare, colour variant called 
     
     the erythristic, which is entirely red over its back and sides, has been found 
     
     in other parts of this species range. The bellies of all three are usually 
     
     black with white or yellow mottling. Its length ranges up to 4 1/6 inches 
     
     (10.6 cm.). 
     
    

    
     This species of salamander lays its 
     
     eggs in rotten logs or other moist 
     
     habitats. The eggs hatch the same summer 
     
     in which they are laid and the development 
     
     is compressed by the gilled larval stage 
     
     occurring inside the egg. The egg hatches 
     
     E???“ ~ to release a miniature version of the 
     
     '5 adult. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
         
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     r‘5‘- ..M 
     
     A. ‘ l'tfi-‘b;‘.s.~si¢€3~.29fiiyvs.krw 
     
     Emm‘wwaaugkg 
     
    
   
   
    
               
     
    
   
   
    
     The Redback Salamander uses its 
     
     moist skin and the roof of its mouth to 
     
     transfer oxygen to its blood and 
     
    
   
   
    
     1’53 - "bachQ 592971137236? 
     
    
   
   
    
     _ 6 _