Salamander
Audio Clips
Salamaners crossing 31st
In the next couple of weeks, if you're driving along 31st Street on a miserable cold, rainy night, you might see a lone figure walking slowly along the road.
Don't be alarmed.
It's probably just Mike Caron.
The Lawrence amateur naturalist is just doing a good deed - serving as a crossing guard for smallmouth salamanders.
Caron, a Baker Wetlands advocate for 15 years, said he realized that last weekend's freezing rain and snow would help bring the salamanders out of their holes to seek out their breeding grounds.
They slink out during dark, cold and wet nights to avoid predators, such as raccoons, birds or garter snakes.
So last Saturday night, Caron went out to help the small creatures, which are about three to five inches long. He found 15 live and four to five squished salamanders out on 31st Street between Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue.
"If there's another late night when it's raining pretty good, I'll probably run down there and see what's going on," Caron said.
Joe Collins, a herpetologist for the Kansas Biological Survey on Kansas University's West Campus, has been keeping track of the smallmouth salamanders for nearly four decades.
Collins said the salamanders live underground most of the year, eating earthworms they find on the north side of 31st.
But when the first cold heavy rains come during the year, they leave their safe upland haven.
"This is their one chance a year to have sex," Collins said, laughing.
The breeding sites are on both sides of 31st Street and in the Baker Wetlands.
"And, apparently, the best sites are along the south side," he said.
The salamanders lay eggs in the ditches and the small ponds in the wetlands. When the eggs hatch and the larvae grow into salamanders, they eventually crawl up on land and follow the scent trail of parents back to the upland area on the north side of the road.
"They live below ground for the rest of the year until we get good rains in the springtime," Collins said.
Caron decided to go out on his own Saturday when he saw the weather conditions were right.
He got there about 9 p.m. and met a man from Overland Park who had the same idea.
"It really started sleeting and getting really nasty about 11 o'clock. And that's when we saw them actively in the road, trying to cross the road," Caron said. "They were all going from the north to the south."
The salamanders don't move very fast.
"It's quite a trek to get across from one side to the other without two or three cars coming by," Caron said. "So you've got fair odds of getting run over."
The two men picked up a half-dozen of the creatures that were on the road and moved them to the other side.
Last year, Caron helped to organized wetlands advocates to help the salamanders cross. But he's decided that's not safe.
"I don't want to see the salamanders run over, but I would be a lot more concerned about a human being being run over," he said. "It's not a good idea to encourage a lot of other people to go out there."
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blindrabbit (anonymous) says…
Hey, I think saving the real salamanders is a great idea! Too bad we have so many other slimy individuals as evidenced by recent LJWstories about Lawrence area business owners sliming their employees. Well, as the story goes "Every dog eventually has his day".
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
"It's quite a trek to get across from one side to the other without two or three cars coming by," Caron said. "So you've got fair odds of getting run over."
Why not just have one group of guys stand on one side of the road, one on the other side and have a salamander toss?
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
"Why not just have one group of guys stand on one side of the road, one on the other side and have a salamander toss?"
That's an image I'll cherish all day.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
oh you guys that is so wrong made me laugh but wrong.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
LMAO!
***
then there was:
""If there's another late night when it's raining pretty good, I'll probably run down there and see what's going on," Caron said.
"
Caron went on to ad, "if you've got a life, I'm not using mine." "somebody help me!"
lilchick (anonymous) says…
Okay, just a quick question.....might be dumb but here goes:
If the babies follow the scent trail back to the north side of the road, but these people are carrying the parents from one side to another, doesn't that do away with a section of the scent trail? Wouldn't that cause the babies confusion when they try to get back to the North side?
I'm not trying to be a smart arse, I'm just wondering....
75x55 (anonymous) says…
Headline.. 'Good samaritan saving salamaders'???
What's that like, those little grape tomatoes in a tossed salad?
Sounds more like a kid that doesn't like certain veggies.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
"Salamader" sounds latin...
***
yes, by handling the little buggers, you're changing their personal scent, too. that is, unless the salamander wranglers wear rubber gloves.
lilchick (anonymous) says…
So, are they doing more harm than good in helping them cross the road? That is if they aren't wearing gloves...
Jamesaust (anonymous) says…
A samaritan is one who selflessly helps other human beings. Caron may (or may not) be a samaritan but that has nothing to do with his salamander work.
A person who helps animals is a zoophilist (not to be confused with a zoophile - look it up).
BTW - How long is this headline going to use Salamader instead of Salamander?
blindrabbit (anonymous) says…
Three postings back; if I'm not mistaken, "salamander" comes from Greek, not Latin! Oh well, "santorum" does comes Latin; look it up and you'll see why the people of Pennsylvania recently rejected their "former" U.S. Senator "Rick". Salamanders of a feather. Sorry, should not mix politics with a worthy cause such as saving the critters. Thanks Joe Collins!!!
Bladerunner (anonymous) says…
"A samaritan is one who selflessly helps other human beings."
A salamaritan is one who selflessly helps salamanders.
drake (anonymous) says…
Those little buggers move a lot faster than you think they do. They always seem to zig when I zag and I can only seem to get 15-20 per trip down 31st. Maybe I should get wider tires on my truck.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
was referring to the typo "salamaders," sounds like latin for "mother has salami?
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Bladerunner: I love "salamaritan"!! I've often been a good turtlaritan and even a good snakarian, but that's about the extent of my road rescue escapades.
Wonder if the guy is out there tonight, dodging hailstones and lightning strikes--and Drake's newer, wider tires!