The period from mid-March to mid-April is critical for the lifecycle of most amphibians. Many species of salamanders and ...

Michigan vernal pools shelter salamanders, fairy shrimp and frogs. Learn why these seasonal wetlands matter and how to help ...

A walk in any deciduous forest in early March is certain to reveal a variety of vernal pools. Every depression, large and small, fills with snow melt and rain. At night these pools become hubs of ...

April showers bring May flowers. April showers also make frogs explode into a chorus after spring rain. These frogs are not simply croaking for communication. The loudest frogs are signaling that ...

Spring is a season of new life, and with that comes animal behaviors that only happen at this time of year. One such example ...

Puddle or vernal pool? Take a closer look to find out. Vernal pools, Michigan’s fantastical temporary wetlands, are teeming with life. They’ve earned the nickname, “powerhouse puddles” from the state ...

Under the resonating booms of departing aircraft, clusters of creatures are celebrating spring at Beale Air Force Base. Chorus frog tadpoles wiggle, and predatory diving beetles plunge downward in ...

One of my favorite memories was when we first moved to Maine, over 30 years ago, and discovered vernal pools (our house was surrounded by them). Vernal pools are seasonal forested wetlands that fill ...

BRIDPORT — On the hunt for a set of GPS coordinates, biologists from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies ambled up an untrailed slope of Addison County’s Snake Mountain in late April. After climbing ...

Around these parts, they’re called wicked big puddles. Don’t let the name fool you, though. While vernal pools are really fun to explore, and you can see things there that you won’t find anywhere else ...

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022. With spring underway, it’s time to take a look at an ecosystem that only lasts for a short period of time called a vernal pool. These bodies ...

On a spring hike in the woods, one sure way to amaze a child (or a grownup!) is to discover a red eft along the trail. Glowing red-orange in the leaf litter, these tiny creatures light up the forest ...