Grove City Messenger - January 24th, 2021

New tunnels at Darby Park will help the salamanders
PAGE 10 - GROVE CITY MESSENGER - January 24, 2021
www.columbusmessenger.com
Mating season for eastern tiger salamanders and spotted salamanders
at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park can get a bit dicey
as these determined creatures surface from their underground
burrows and march en masse, by the hundreds, across the roadways
to vernal pools to mate and lay eggs.
Road crossing mortality is high for salamanders as they move
quite slowly on their stubby little legs. Their breeding success can
be variable depending on the success of this migration. They are
sometimes joined by other vernal pool breeders like frogs and
spring peepers. Migration usually occurs during the first warm
seasonal rains, in late February or early March, after dark and
with temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
To protect migrating amphibians from squishy deaths and
reduce the effects of road mortality by cars, Metro Parks built two
experimental tunnels across the road into the nature center.
Tunnels are less expensive than going over the road. Since salamanders
don’t like dark enclosed spaces where they cannot see
the other end, staff came up with overhead grates to let in some
natural light. The grates are strong enough to withstand the
weight of vehicles. Exclusion fencing was put at the end of each
tunnel to help funnel the amphibians into the trenches.
If the project is successful, Metro Parks hope to work with
other agencies to put tunnels across Battelle Darby Creek Drive.
Hopefully, the 2021 breeding season will prove to be a light at the
end of the tunnel for the eastern tiger salamander and other creatures
as they make their annual trek to their seasonal breeding
pools.
Photos courtesy of Metro Parks
Spotted salamanders are among the best indicators of healthy vernal pool/woodland ecosystems. This photo
was shot by David Celebrezze.
- Peg Hanley, Metro Parks
The Metro Parks salamander underpass system will hopefully
facilitate safe passage for these critters on their journey from
woodlands to wetlands.
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