Amphibians


Amphibians were the first land-dwelling vertebrates. Most species lay gelatinous eggs in or near water where the larvae undergo an aquatic stage before transformation to more land dwelling (terrestrial) adults. Amphibians are carnivorous and will eat whatever moves and is small enough to swallow (primarily insects and worms). Amphibians cannot internally control their body temperature; therefore they must seek shelter during winter. Many prefer underground burrows or rotting logs; some remain underwater or nestle in mud, absorbing oxygen through their skin. They move to breeding sites (sometimes in groups) when the first warm rains of early spring occur.  These species are studied and monitored as part of the Herptile Atlas program (reptiles and amphibians) and the Calling Amphibian Monitoring Program (started in 1998), which monitors only frogs and toads.
The Pine Barrens treefrog is the cover species of the state's Wildlife Viewing Guide.

PINE BARRENS TREE FROG-(Hyla andersonii)

These frogs live on the Eastern coast from their southern boundary in Georgia to N.J. which is as far north as they are found. These frogs are 1 - 2 inches long (females are somewhat larger than males), bright green with white-edged lavender stripes on the side. It also has orange coloration along its leg folds. Its long "fingers" (digits) have adhesive disks that help it climb trees & twigs. Pollution of breeding ponds are the cause of the tree frog's endangered status. They were known to be in 10 counties but are gone (extirpated) from Middlesex and scarce in Monmouth. Its call is a quonk ( like an old car horn), repeated about once a second. They are not afraid to sing with people nearby. They might be spotted in May when they come out of the woods to their breeding ponds. Its breeding waters are normally acid. They like swamps,bogs & the warm water of the NJ Pinelands. But, runoff from commercial & home fertilizers and pesticides can affect the water quality & acidity (measured in ph levels - the frogs like a ph of 4). The female lays several groups of eggs - each containing perhaps 1000 eggs- on stems that are slightly below water. The tadpole metamorphosis into an adult in about 2 months.

SOUTHERN GRAY TREEFROG (hyla chrysoscelis)
Even though it is called a gray treefrog, this species can be many colors. Depending on where it is resting it may appear gray, green, brown or even a pale whitish color. It lives in the wooded wetlands. It eats crickets and small worms such as meal worms.

BLUE SPOTTED SALAMANDER-(Ambystoma laterale) Like its name says it has pale bluish spots on it's sides, tail, and legs, and the rest of its body is bluish black. They lay their eggs singly at the bass of a plant or stone in the water. You can look for them in ponds or ditches on damps nights from April to mid May. they mainly eat slugs, earthworms, snails, centipedes,rove beetles, and spiders. They grow to 3.5- 5.5 inches long. During the day they are not exposed to direct sunlight. They lay about 75- 530 eggs!

EASTERN TIGER SALAMANDER (ambystoma t. tigrinum)

This salamander spends most of its life underground in self-made burrows, mole tunnels, or under logs. The salamanders lay their eggs on twigs or branches in the water. It takes 2-5 weeks for each egg to hatch. Adults measure between 15 and 22 centimeters (that's 6-8 and a half inches) - making them New Jersey's largest salamander. Often blotched or spotted, they vary in their bottom (dorsal) colors from olive green to brown or even black. They historically lived in 8 counties of N.J. Today they only exist in two: Cape May and Cumberland. Pesticides and pollution are the main causes of their endangered status. They were placed on the Delaware Estuary Program's priority list of species by The Nature Conservancy because of their importance in the food chain & because they are indicators of a healthy environment.

TREMBLAY'S SALAMANDER (ambystoma tremblayi)

These salamanders need vernal pools, ( vernal means "spring" and so these are pools that form with spring rains and snow melt) as do the spotted salamanders & wood frogs. These pools often contain fairy shrimp (Anostraca) or their eggs. These species spend their entire life cycles in the vernal pool habitat.
 

BLUE-SPOTTED SALAMANDER ( ambystoma laterale)
Named for the blue spots on its sides, tail & legs, this salamander is bluish-black all over. You might find them near ponds or water filled ditches during the early evening as they will stay completely hidden in sunlight and would die if forced to stay in direct light (for example, if you tried to keep one as a pet - which is totally illegal anyway!). In April & May the females will deposit a single egg at the bottom of a plant or on a stone in the water, but may produce 70- over 500 eggs! In the late summer until December, the young larvae will leave their watery homes and move to a land habitat. The adults eat small invertebrates - such as slugs, earthworms, snails, centipedes, beetles & spiders. They are about 3-5 inches in length.

LONG-TAILED SALAMANDER (eurycea longicauda)

 

There are 3 subspecies of Long tail Salamanders, Eurycea longicauda. These are the Long tail Salamander, Eurycea l. longicauda, Three-Lined Salamander, Eurycea l. guttolineata, and the Dark-Sided Salamander, Eurycea l. melanopleura.
They get this name because they are very slender and as adults, the tail may be up to two-thirds of the total length of the salamander. They reach lengths around 6 inches. The Long tail Salamanders are generally a yellow to dark orange / almost red color. They have an unmarked belly and clear dark blotches on their side and dorsal surfaces. One way to help identify them from other salamanders is to look for dark vertical bars found on the tail. The Long tail Salamanders are found from southern New York down through Georgia and northern Florida, west to Alabama.

EASTERN MUD SALAMANDER (Pseudotriton montanus)

The eastern mud salamander ranges from 3.5 to 6 inches. Its eye color is brown and it has dark spots. The back color is a darker red-brown that does not blend into the lighter red of the sides and belly. Females lay up to 200 eggs every other year. It takes at least 17 months to reach its adult form. Males are sexually mature in three years, females can produce young in four. Eastern mud salamanders may be found in the fine, black muck under stones and logs, or in spring-fed brooks or swamps, along the coastal plain or Piedmont regions from southern New Jersey to Georgia.