Meadowbrook Nature Preserve in Valparaiso is a place to explore and learn more about the life cycle of the amphibian. More than 30 people gathered there on a recent Saturday to learn more about amphibian life from an expert in the field.
“For a salamander, frog, toad, or newt that is a sexually mature adult, their primary goals in August are to keep hydrated,” said Spencer Cortwright, an associate professor of biology at Indiana University Northwest. “They need to keep hydrated so they can breathe through their
skin.”
“A lack of rain can be a stress for amphibians,” said Cortwright. “June and July were tough this year.”
One question Dr. Cortwright said he gets consistently during his presentations is whether or not it is safe to pick up a frog or a toad while on a hike.
“When you pick up a toad or a frog, you often force them to void their water supply because they get scared,” said Cortwright. “When we handle them, we also mess with their mucousy skin through which they breathe.
“If you know there is going to be heavy rain coming, go ahead and pick up a toad,” said Cortwright. “If they lose their water storage, they are going to get rehydrated.”
Cortwright led the group through the pathways of Meadowbrook, looking for logs, deep leaf litter, and near small pools of water for amphibian safe spots.
Marie Furmanski, a teacher from Chesterton, attended the event to gather more information for her students.
“I hike all over and have quite an interest in nature,” said Furmanski, who said her favorite place to hike is the Dunes. “I like to learn things over the summer.
“I have come across some amphibians during my hikes like tadpoles and salamanders,” said Furmanski. “I want to find out more from his presentation.”
During the quarter-mile hike, one of the young participants was excited to find a salamander underneath a log. “Blue-spotted salamanders are one of the species of what are known as mole salamanders that live under logs or in tunnels made by small mammals like mice, voles or shrews,” said Cortwright. “They are interesting because they can hybridize with another species and that forms an all-female salamander ‘species’.”
“Amphibians have been on Earth for over 300 million years,” said Cortwright. “They have had some rough times over that time period, during periods where most land surfaces on Earth were on the dry side.”
“Over the past 30-50 years, many amphibians around the globe have declined significantly at an astonishing rate,” said Cortwright. “This may be the most dire time period for amphibians in hundreds of millions of years, the reasons for which are many and vary but connect to the
burgeoning population of humans.”
Cortwright teaches restoration ecology, ecology, and vertebrate zoology. He also does webinars on forest dynamics for Shirley Heinze Land Trust.
“We have many webinars informing the general public about hot topics of restoration and Shirley Heinze Land Trust,” said Allison Wagner, stewardship assistant for Shirley Heinze Land Trust. “Dr. Cortwright specializes in conservation and amphibians in our area, and we use these
webinars to spread the word but also help those involved learn more about what we do, the areas in which they live, and the organisms and plants that they may see each day.”
For more information on programs like this one, please visit heinzetrust.org for future events.
Deena Butterfield is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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