Two salamanders crawl over leaves off Beekman Road in East Brunswick on Feb. 28. LITI HARAMATY EAST BRUNSWICK — Monday night signaled the start of the annual spotted salamander migration across Beekman Road, which was closed for the evening due to the expected crossing.
And there is much more migrating to come, probably with the next warm rains, according to members of the township’s Environmental Commission.
“Like the first snowdrops and redwinged blackbirds, I think we can all feel comfortable that regardless of what winter will still throw at us, spring has sprung,” Dave Moskowitz said.
The rain during the day Monday and the unseasonably warm temperatures triggered a few amphibians to leave their winter refugia and move toward the breeding pools on the other side of Beekman Road. Although only a few spotted salamanders crossed that night, Moskowitz suspected that everyone who came out to the road saw at least one. Also observed were spring peepers, a red eft and what is believed to have been a New Jersey chorus frog.
The spotted salamanders were all males, and Moskowitz noted it is typical for a few intrepid males to make the journey to the vernal pools ahead of the majority of the population. In the last eight years that the Environmental Commission and the Friends of the Environmental Commission have been protecting theses amphibians, this was the earliest that there was any significant movement to the pools.
“It just shows how much we still have to learn and how unpredictable nature can be,” he said. “It is always humbling as to how little we really know.”
On Monday, the Friends group initiated the first Citizen Science Monitoring Project to count the migrating frogs and salamanders on the road with a training and orientation session. The group can accommodate a few more people; anyone interested should contact them at [email protected].
The weather forecast for the rest of the week was seasonal, but cold and dry until the weekend, so no movement or road closings were planned as of Tuesday. Check for regular updates at www.friendsebec.com.