So, Who Knows Salamanders?

[Bill Jolliff]

I need some help.

The 1st picture below is a salamander I caught a couple days ago in our stone driveway, I suspect looking for a good place to spend the winter. What kind is it?

I commonly find salamanders, especially under the tarp I put down in our gravel and stone driveway that I put pallets on. And then stack my cut and split firewood on in March and April. See the 2nd picture. I pulled and restacked the firewood a couple weeks ago and these were under the tarp. See 3rd picture.

I also find them down cellar where our BILCO door leads to the outside – 4th picture.

Our location: upstate rural NY and we are about 1 1/2 miles from the south shore of Lake Ontario. House sits back about 700 feet from the road and we're surrounded by brushy woods. There’s a small, shallow pond in the woods about 200 feet away from our barn, so a good place for salamanders.

I let all of them go in a good spot that they can winter over in.

So, can anybody identify that black salamander in the 1st picture. All black, no spots and about 6 – 7 inches long. Note that it has 4 toes on his front feet and 5 toes on his back feet.

All guesses welcome. Thanks.

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[Don Mills]

Bill,
We must be neighbors. I live about the same distance from the lake. The first appears to be a blue spotted/ Jefferson hybrid. Third picture has a Spotted salamander and several red Backed salamanders.

[Bill Jolliff]

Originally Posted by Donald F. Mills

Bill,
We must be neighbors. I live about the same distance from the lake. The first appears to be a blue spotted/ Jefferson hybrid. Third picture has a Spotted salamander and several red Backed salamanders.

Hi Don,

I'm just west of you in the Town of Ontario, Wayne County. I checked the PGCA Member Roster and you're just east of me over in Oswego - snow country that you might be seeing an abundance of this weekend. You probably know Don May, single trigger specialist and overall, a good double gun mechanic. Nice guy too.

That black one does seem to match a Jefferson or Blue Spotted Salamander but I didn't think they were around here. First one I've seen.

Most of what I see are those Red Back's and Duskies with the Spotted variety occasionally. Neat critters for sure. Thanks for that link that shows and describes some of the other NYS salamanders. Good info. Bill.

[Don Mills]

Bill,
Yes, I see we are going to get some lake effect this weekend. I know Dan and we shoot sporting clays at Pathfinder in Fulton when our schedules allow. We should get together and break some clays and talk Parkers.

[Stan Hillis]

How can you get anything in or out of your shop with that huge stack of firewood there, Bill?

When I was a kid we used to be able to buy salamanders at a local bait and tackle shop to use as live bass bait. Hooked through the nose they would stay alive for a long time. They were called "spring lizards" down here. That may have been a local colloquialism, not sure. They were a relatively expensive bait to buy but were hugely effective on bass. I'm told that bass hate them because they are robbers of fish eggs when bass are bedding. I do know that artificial salamanders evoke a vicious attack from a big bass when she's on the bed and you cast one into her bed.

Anyone else remember spring lizards as bass bait?

[Bill Jolliff]

Originally Posted by Stan Hillis

How can you get anything in or out of your shop with that huge stack of firewood there, Bill?

When I was a kid we used to be able to buy salamanders at a local bait and tackle shop to use as live bass bait. Hooked through the nose they would stay alive for a long time. They were called "spring lizards" down here. That may have been a local colloquialism, not sure. They were a relatively expensive bait to buy but were hugely effective on bass. I'm told that bass hate them because they are robbers of fish eggs when bass are bedding. I do know that artificial salamanders evoke a vicious attack from a big bass when she's on the bed and you cast one into her bed.

Anyone else remember spring lizards as bass bait?

Hey Stan,

Picture below is another view of the wood and my barn. Yep, got room to move stuff in and out.

I've never used salamanders or "spring lizards" for bait but have used blood suckers. Especially for bullheads. They worked good and tough enough to get a couple fish on one blood sucker before you had to put another one on your hook.

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[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Stan Hillis

How can you get anything in or out of your shop with that huge stack of firewood there, Bill?

When I was a kid we used to be able to buy salamanders at a local bait and tackle shop to use as live bass bait. Hooked through the nose they would stay alive for a long time. They were called "spring lizards" down here. That may have been a local colloquialism, not sure. They were a relatively expensive bait to buy but were hugely effective on bass. I'm told that bass hate them because they are robbers of fish eggs when bass are bedding. I do know that artificial salamanders evoke a vicious attack from a big bass when she's on the bed and you cast one into her bed.

Anyone else remember spring lizards as bass bait?

You betcha Stan. Back in the day my brothers and I would catch them in the spring thaw as I recall it. Simply wade the local creek and over turn rocks to find them. Mom and Dad had an old fashioned cellar where all the garden goodies were kept. Dad worked at the local munitions testing facility so we used a wooden box the government used to ship 155MM shells/bombs in to store the critters. Keep them cool and moist and they would live a long time in the cellar. Their primary purpose was bass on a nest and boy did they ever work. I seem to recall if we had a creek where the banks were wooded we had a good chance of finding lots of them, other areas not so great.

[Jeff Christie]

They are all “mud puppies” to me and are a very welcome sign of good luck to come. I always try to protect them from harm. I think they are or were a part of the heraldic signs of the royalty of France. Not positive on that. Walk on fire etc.

[Big D]

Want to come and cut and stack firewood for us? Room and board provided.