I “Spotted” a Salamander

Yesterday, I was moving some old logs, looking for something I could catch. Under one big, old, wet log I found a spotted salamander and caught it. The salamander was very hard to capture because it was covered with slime. Salamanders have mucous glands in their skin. The mucous keeps the skin moist and slick. Because they are slick, predators may have a hard time catching them. I sure did. Did you know salamanders can breathe through their skin?

Salamanders are carnivores. They eat insects and spiders. I feed my salamander worms; it is very cool to watch him eat. Salamanders lay their eggs in water, and a couple of weeks later the eggs hatch. Baby salamanders have gills so they can breathe under water like fish. As they get bigger, the salamanders get legs, and their gills start to get smaller. A couple of months later and the salamanders’ gills are gone, and the salamander climbs out of the water and finds a spot to live under an old wet log. That’s where I found my salamander.

               ~Jonah