Northern Two Lined and Northern Red Salamander Larvae Dispersion Compared with Stream Qualities

• Joshua Samuels

  Juniata College

  Author

• Tim Sullivan

  Juniata College

  Author

• Jude Smith

  Juniata College

  Author

Salamanders are a common amphibian found across the globe, and many studies have been conducted on their habitat and stream choice. We wanted to find out how salamander larvaes were dispersed, and what stream qualities influenced salamander larvae dispersion. Previous research on other species of salamander has indicated a preference for close proximity to the origin of the stream (Connette, Grant & Osbourn, Michael & Peterman, William 2016). We studied two springs located in Central Pennsylvania, Cold Spring and Warm Spring. We divided the two streams into three sections each and collected data on stream quality as well as the salamanders we found. There were two types of salamander that were found in both springs. These were the Northern Two-Lined Salamander and the Red Salamander. We found that Warm Springs had a Two-lined Salamander majority, while Cold Springs was dominated by the Red Salamanders. Our data also indicated a preference for higher alkalinity, hardness, and lower dissolved oxygen. Both salamanders preferred to reside in vegetation, the vast bulk being watercress. Our data on Warm Spring also seemed to support Connette, Osbourn, and Petermans’s study, but less so Cold Spring. Overall, Warm Spring had more salamanders, indicating a strong preference for higher temperatures.

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