Amphibians often play important and keystone roles in the natural world as indicators of functioning healthy ecosystems and as part of the predator – prey relationship. Like birds, they often signify a “canary in the coal mine” because widespread declines may indicate far reaching problems in the ecosystem. Herpetologists around the world have initiated research and conservation efforts to identify problems associated with these declines and come up with solutions to counteract them. The incredibly high extinction rate of some species can be attributed to:

• Human disturbance
• Habitat destruction
• Encroachment
• Pollution
• Introduced predators
   

Maintaining stable populations of amphibian populations requires suitable habitat with abundant food supplies, breeding areas, hibernation sites, and safe travel between  these sites. The increase of development throughout the northeast continues to separate hibernation sites from breeding pools with treacherous road crossings that amphibians must endure. Several species of amphibians, called vernal pond obligates (VPO) only reproduce successfully in vernal ponds.  Vernal pools only hold water for several months in the spring - this ensures that fish can not live there and will not eat the amphibian's eggs or young.  VPOs literally put all their eggs in one “basket.”

Spotted Salamander egg mass	Wood Frog egg mass
Photos by Mike Bisignano

Generally these amphibians, which include frogs, toads and salamanders, live in upland forests protected by leaves and logs or underground. Come the first warm rainy night in early spring, they conduct widespread movements to reach these ponds where they search for mates, breed and lay their eggs for the next generation. 

Few people are aware that they may have these amphibians living in their backyards or in adjacent woodlots. Even a lesser number understand that they make amazing migrations between their hibernation and breeding sites. They often have to cross a road. As noted previously, crossing a road is not an easy task for a wood frog or a spotted salamander on a good night, but crossing on a rainy night when drivers’ vision is challenged due to poor visibility due to road spray, glare caused by oncoming headlights and windshield wiper smear, is nearly impossible. Often citizens never recognize the amphibian loss on local roads, as nocturnal scavengers welcome the easy food source and the roads are “clean” by morning.

Looking for more information on vernal pools and specific amphibian species that use them? Click here.

Photos by Mike Anderson