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BOSTON GLOBE (Massachusetts) 16 March 06 Big Nights for nature buffs - Salamanders star in pool mating shows (Stephen Heyman)
Tonight could be a Big Night. Or tomorrow night. Or any of these nights.
A Big Night comes when the mercury inches above 40 degrees and when it's wet outside. Then, deep in the dark woods, male salamanders of the spotted, marbled, and Jefferson varieties crawl from their forest hideouts toward large puddles of water, called vernal pools.
They're looking for love in all the right places -- the females are right behind them.
All over New England and throughout Boston's western suburbs, a vibrant and -- at this time of year -- giddy community of nature enthusiasts is waiting for Big Night to spy on a great amphibian awakening.
With the recent spell of warm weather, it could come any day now. Some thought that Monday night, with its scattered showers, could have been the big one.
''The temperatures have been right," says Leslie Bol, a biologist at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in Westborough. ''We just need the rain."
Bol helps certify many of the area's vernal pools, which are pools that form in the spring from snow runoff and rain. Under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, certification guards the pools, which have their own unique ecosystems, against development.
''There's over 3,000 certified vernal pools for the whole state as well as close to 30,000 potential vernal pools," Bol said, according to data available via GIS, or Geographic Information Systems.
''Also, the amphibians were on the move last night in various parts of the state. Wood frogs, spring peepers, spotted salamanders, and blue-spotted salamanders were all active last night."
For some, seeing a Big Night firsthand is somewhat of of religious experience.
''There's this clear sense of a kind of earth event," says Chris Leahy, a Big Night spectator and the chair of natural history at the Massachusetts Audubon Society in Lincoln. ''These are animals that live under the ground, and they're down there all winter. They sort of climb up out of the earth, crossing roads, and follow this ancient pattern of migration."
Up close, Leahy says, a salamander is stunning.
''They're 8-inch long things -- black with these neon yellow spots. To see many of them acting out their reproductive rituals, it's sort of moving."
Salamanders, like most creatures in the animal kingdom, don't concern themselves with courting. Coupling occurs quickly.
''It's not very sexy from the human point of view," Leahy says. ''The males deposit these things called spermatophores, which are little gelatinous packages. The females follow and they simply absorb these spermatophores. And that's about it."
Salamanders aren't the only creatures for which Big Night is a big deal. Various species of frogs and turtles, along with crustaceans called fairy shrimp, make use of the vernal pool for reproduction.
Such an adventure may not inspire everyone. But for some, it's mind-altering.
Proof of this can be found on the Yahoo message board ''vernalpool," where easily excitable amphibian lovers track the progress of Big Night.
''For me, it's like 'Brigadoon' or maybe 'Field of Dreams,' " one enthusiast wrote on the message board. ''A magical place and time."
''There's this whole thing going on you wouldn't notice if you were driving by. In fact, you'd probably squash them," said Leahy.
''It's spectacular."
Salamanders star in pool mating shows

THE SENTINEL (East Brunswick, New Jersey) 16 March 06 Salamander season has sprung - Lizard-like amphibians begin annual migration across Beekman Road (Vincent Todaro)
This spotted salamander was among the first to make its way across Beekman Road in East Brunswick Sunday evening. About 40 people came out to see if the warmer temperatures and rainfall would prompt the amphibians to cross the road, headed to vernal pools for mating. A local youth holds one of the salamanders before helping it get to the side of the road where it was headed.
It's become an annual sign that spring is soon to arrive in East Brunswick.With the warmer temperatures last week, followed by Sunday's rain, the spotted salamanders began to make their annual sojourn across Beekman Road, headed for vernal pools where they mate and grow in the months between late winter and mid-summer. The township has taken a particular interest in the migration in recent years, closing the road for several nights to prevent the small creatures from being run over.
A crowd of about 40 watched Sunday evening as the first salamanders made their way across Beekman Road. The township's Environmental Commission, township officials and families with children watched with delight as an unexpectedly large number of the small, slithery creatures emerged.
Commission members expected to see one or two males - which tend to migrate first - but were surprised to find at least 35 salamanders, including one female, making the trek on this first night.
The warm weather and rain had tipped off the Environmental Commission that the salamanders might begin their journey, said commission member Rich Wolfert. But in addition to seeing the salamanders, those gathered on Beekman Road were able to see dozens of spring peepers, which is a type of brown frog, and a lone bull frog.
They could also hear the singing of spring peepers, which Wolfert said is their mating call.
"The combined sound of these at night may be the quintessential sound of early spring," he said.
Though Sunday was the "trigger night" for the salamander migration, there will likely be several evenings to come when more salamanders cross. Last year, there were eight nights of movement, and hundreds eventually crossed.
"They don't all get the signal at the same time," he said. "The more aggressive males cross on the first night. The next good rain will signify movement."
There was no movement on Monday, and Wolfert was not confident there would be a great deal of further activity this week. Looking at the weather forecast, he predicted next week would see a good amount of movement, but suggested that people keep tabs by visiting the commission's Web page at www.njnaturenotes.com, where they can also sign up for an e-mail list.
Whatever is in store, Wolfert said he was thrilled to have found the first salamander to cross. He picked up and held the 7-to 8-inch male, which is large by spotted salamander standards.
"This is just wonderful," he said.
Commission member Liti Haramati, who was present at Sunday's crossing, noted that the males cross the road first, and the females then follow to lay their eggs in the vernal pools. The males later provide a spermatophore. In vernal pools, which are fed by rainwater, the eggs are safe from predators, Wolfert said. There are no fish in the pools, since they dry up as the year progresses.
Township officials, including Mayor William Neary, have arranged for the road to be closed and had signs posted telling motorists to be careful of the salamander.
A primary reason for the attention is the endangerment of salamanders in this region. The commission believes the population may date back more than 10,000 years, since the last glacier retreated, but that over the years the population has dwindled along with their vernal pools due to development and the construction of the adjacent Tamarack Hollow Golf Course. The salamanders need to live underneath leaf-litter and mulch.
Commission members were thrilled Sunday not just with the large number of salamanders making the journey on that initial night, but with other aspects of what they saw.
"The salamanders seemed to be coming from a significantly wider area than in previous years," Wolfert wrote in a posting on the commission's Web site. He speculated that this may be due to the protections East Brunswick has put in place for the salamanders' safety. The numbers, he said, may be a lot higher in a few more years.
"In other words," he said, "we may be seeing the positive results of a successful effort."
Salamander season has sprung