The Herpetarium 
 The Herps of Blue Haven 
 Field Guide 
 History 
 Photos 

• Habitat: Damp meadows, mountain forests
• Food: Earthworms, large insects, small mice, and other amphibians
• Life cycle: They breed from March to June. Eggs are laid, which adhere to submerged debris. Hatched larvae are 9⁄16” (14 mm) long, and transform into salamanders from June to August when they are about 4” (9-12 cm) long.
• Length: Adults are 6-13 3⁄8” (15.2-40 cm) long, larvae are 9⁄16” (14 mm) long.

Salamanders are fairly rare at Camp, and are usually spotted after rain.

The last time I saw a salamander at camp was in 1999, the year that it rained and the cabins flooded. They had to take the deck up at the chapel, and several salamanders were found under the deck. However, several salamanders were found at Dan's Place third session this year.

Although similar in shape to lizards, salamanders are amphibians, not reptiles. They lack scales, and they must keep their skin wet to survive. Another thing about amphibians is that they begin life as larvae in the water. A salamander larva is very much like a tadpole, starting out with no legs, and a long tail. This larva eventually grows legs, and turns into an adult salamander. It loses its gills as its lungs develop for breathing outside of the water.

Once I found some larvae in a drying-up pond in Eloy’s Meadow. I brought them back to the Herpetarium in a plastic Ziploc^® bag.