Recently, it has been raining a lot in the Pittsburgh area. All of the moisture was great because on the 18th of June 2009, I went on a local field herping expedition. Here are some highlights.
We found the Redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus) pictured below hiding under a wet log. Redback Salamanders are members of the largest family of salamanders--the lungless salamanders. Lungless salamanders respire through their thin, well vascularized skin by diffusion. For diffusion to work their skin must be moist so it is very important to mist these guys with a water sprayer as you handle them.
Some pictures of the Eastern American Toad (Bufo americanus americanus) we found. It can be hard to distinguish these at times from Fowler's toad, but I think I made the correct identification in the field using the descriptions in Larry Shaffer's Pennsylvania Amphibians & Reptiles book published by the PA Fish & Boat Commission.
According to our guides, these large tadpoles were bullfrog tadpoles.
More tadpoles and a Damselfly larvae.
The larvae of a big dragonfly.
Finally, I found this convention of Daddy LongLegs on a leaf.
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