The second stage in the life cycle of the Eastern spotted newt is the red eft. Of all of the salamanders in our area, this is probably the easiest one to find. Credit: PHOTO BY BILL DANIELSON It has ...

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It has been a long, wet, raw May, and my outdoor time has been curtailed by rotten weather on the weekends. So, it was with the utmost enthusiasm that I capitalized on a rare rain-free Saturday ...

September slips in over a glorious weekend reflecting less the coming of fall but more the arrival of summer. Blue, blue skies with drifting clouds, brilliant sunshine and steamy heat. We are not ...

If you’ve ever doubted that water is the wellspring of life, pay attention the next time it rains. Birds flock to puddles and birdbaths to drink and bathe. Box turtles become active and can be seen ...

After a dry spell we finally had two days with a combination of passing showers, an evening of steady rain and then heavy downpours by the bucket-full for 10 to 20 minutes or so. The following day was ...

The eastern U.S. is the world’s salamander hotspot, with more species per area than anywhere else on the planet. Often superabundant, salamanders hold important ecological roles in their habitats.

You’re probably familiar with the basic amphibian life plan: Start as a wriggly, water-breathing tadpole, transform into an adult that breathes air. This is the pattern followed by all our frogs and ...

Bright colors on an otherwise green or brown forest floor can get our attention. Normally the growing space beneath a woodland canopy does not have the colorful flowers we can see in spring. When ...

Sometimes smooth, sometimes slippery, but always unique. Introducing one of the most interesting salamander relatives: newts. Newts are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. This lizard-frog ...

While hiking in the Blue Hills this fall, my friend Tim Beaulieu and I stopped to flip over a few logs along the side of a trail. As herpetologists — biologists who study reptiles and amphibians — our ...

Claim to fame: Thanks to Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (and a countless number of movies, cartoons and comedy skits about witchcraft), most of us know that "eye of newt" is linked to mystical potions.