Jefferson Salamanders

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photo by Gail Ceresia, Berkshire Wetland Services Woodfrog egg masses in a vernal pool. Woodfrogs often lay their egg masses near each other. The masses start relatively small, but expand as they absorb water.	photo by Gail Ceresia, Berkshire Wetland Services Closer picture of a woodfrog egg mass. Note the whole mass does not have a jelly that covers all the eggs, the way salamander egg masses have. Masses contain hundreds of eggs.	photo by Jane Winn, BEAT A woodfrog egg mass that has been in the pool awhile. Notice the green tint. Algae is beginning to grow.	photo by Bruce Winn, BEAT Woodfrog egg masses in another vernal pool.
photo by Bruce Winn, BEAT Woodfrog (Rana sylvatica) Note the black mask and yellow line along the mouth.	photo by Bruce Winn, BEAT Male and female woodfrog in amphiplexus.	photo by Bruce Winn, BEAT Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus sp.) These tiny crustaceans are from half an inch to an inch and a half long.
photo by Jane Winn, BEAT Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) Jefferson Salamanders are about 4 to 7 inches long.	photo by Jane Winn, BEAT Jefferson Salamander – You can almost see the light blue flecking.	photo by Gail Ceresia, Berkshire Wetland Services Spermataphores (packets of sperm) from “congressing” male salamanders, deposited in a vernal pool. These spermataphores will not be used.	photo by Gail Ceresia, Berkshire Wetland Services The spermatophores on the left are from Jefferson Salamanders and look sort of like little mushrooms. The ones on the right are more pyramidal and are from Spotted Salamanders.
Spotted Salamander egg mass	A different Spotted Salamander egg mass	Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Spotted Salamanders are about 6 to 8 inches long.	Spotted Salamander