Michael Reichmuth, a fisheries biologist with the National Park Service, often snorkels in the cold waters of national parks and coastlines in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Most of the time, he’s snorkeling and researching endangered juvenile coho salmon for work. He’s been in the job for more than 20 years and has seen a lot of interesting things, according to the NPS article.
But last September, while snorkeling in Olema Creek on the Point Reyes National Seashore, Reichmuth captured the first-ever photograph of a pod of newly hatched California giant salamanders in the wild.
According to the NPS, he photographed something scientists had never before photographed in the wild.
Patrick Kleeman, a biologist and amphibian expert with the U.S. Geological Survey, confirmed the rare sighting.
“Given its location in a small river that is known to be home to the California giant salamander, we believe it is most likely that species,” Kleeman said.
The only other long-bodied amphibian found locally is the newt. However, Kleeman explained:[Their back] At this stage of life, the pattern will look different than the photo. ”
Although the age of this group was not confirmed, one clue that scientists noticed was that there were so many groups in one place. They were also seen to have large, whitish yolk sacs that sustain the larvae for months while they learn to find their own food.
A group of giant salamander larvae — scientifically speaking Dicamptodon Ensatus — represents a rare discovery of an elusive creature. It will also give park scientists new insights into how to protect species.
Although the California giant salamander is not currently listed as an endangered or endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, it is considered a “Species of Special Concern” in California due to its limited range and sensitivity to environmental change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature also classifies this species as near-threatened. Although the California giant salamander is a delicate species, this classification reflects how little is known about the California giant salamander.
“Their populations may be declining, but scientists don’t have enough data to be sure,” the NPS article explains. “Questions also remain about factors such as its distribution, habitat needs, migration, and early life stages.”
For something called a “giant salamander,” the average person may be surprised at how difficult these species are to find. It can grow up to a foot in length, making it one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America.
But studying amphibians is difficult, and scientists rarely fall into the traps they set to capture and study amphibians. Most of what has been estimated for this species has been collected from other similar giant salamanders.
Kleeman said there are only a few records of eggs or nests in any species of giant salamander. There are also no observations of wild California giant salamander larvae in the scientific literature.
“The fact that [Reichmuth] “We found it quite interesting because there is so little information about this life stage of this species,” he said.
Capturing them on camera means scientists can obtain more observational data about the species.
“This single photo, and Reichmuth’s description of when and where it was taken, helps us understand the nesting habitat of giant salamanders,” NPS explained.
“It also adds to what we know about things like the actual timing of larval development. This information is critical for giant salamander research and conservation.”
NPS also encourages those who visit national parks every day to be curious. Although visitors can’t snorkel in national park streams like Reichmuth, if you’re lucky you might spot a California giant salamander while visiting the area.
If visitors take photos, they can upload their observations to the ongoing inventory of the California giant salamander.
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Header image: NPS / Jaylyn Hoskins (Environment for the Americas)
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