#eastern newt

[vandaliatraveler]

Walk with me: Mid-summer hike through a Central Appalachian forest. As summer hurtles toward its final explosive act, the forest's living things embrace urgent, primordial impulses triggered by shrinking daylight: to bloom, to seed, to feed, and to reproduce before the killing frost of Autumn shocks the earth into hibernation. In the deep forest, the fetid perfume of decaying fungi signals the countdown has begun. From top: a bumblebee traversing the fanning pink flowers of hollow-stemmed Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum); the maturing red stem and flowers of seedbox (Ludwigia alternifolia), also known as rattlebox and square-pod water-primrose, a very attractive wetlands annual with four-sided seed capsules; cowbane (Oxypolis rigidior), also known as common water dropwort, a delicate, marsh-loving member of the carrot family that also happens to be toxic; Allegheny hawkweed (Hieracium paniculatum), also known as panicled hawkweed, a spindly-stemmed member of the dandelion tribe; the lovely and hallucinogenic fly agaric (Amanita muscaria); a sprawling colony of sulphur shelf fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus), an edible delicacy otherwise known as chicken of the woods; a red eft (Notophthalmus viridescens); white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata); a twin set of common puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum); the fungal version of suburban sprawl courtesy of orange moss agaric (Rickenella fibula); a gelatinous serving of orange witches' butter (Dacrymyces chrysospermus); a fiery clump of eastern Jack-o-lanterns (Omphalotus illudens); a potter wasp (Ancistrocerus campestris) drinking from the clumped white flowers of virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana); one of my all-time favorite critters, a locust borer (Megacyllene robiniae), taking its nectar fill from flat-top goldentop (Euthamia graminifolia), also known as grass-leaved goldenrod; a green metallic sweat bee (Augochloropsis ?) finding sustenance from parasol white-top (Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata), also known as flat-top aster; and the intricate purple flowers of tall ironweed (Vernonia gigantea).

[lake-lady]

Today I found the chanterelle motherload 🍄‍🟫😈 and generally just had a lovely long walk in the forest 💛💚

[sorrcha]

red eft dragon

[petra-constella]

Eastern Newt - Notophthalmus viridescens While hiking on a trail somewhat near St. Louis, we found a tiny pond under some pylons that had a variety of species living within it! One of which we saw multiple of were these tiny, very young Eastern Newts! When handling any amphibians, be sure your skin has no open wounds, and I think it's good practice to wet your hand with the water they've been in before handling. That is to say, it's usually best to leave them alone and observe at a distance. We're uncertain why at this point, but this newt and at least one other species nearby (spotted salamander) had these strange lumps/bubbles on some parts of their body. I don't believe it to be natural, so I'm hoping it's not some localized infection in the area. All that aside, seeing newts swim up to us was a highlight of the trip! They're the cutest little things, and they're so curious!

[amphibianaday]

day 1204

[celestialhounds]

A salamander sketch page that I may or may not finish

[stranger-nature]

Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) - Southwest Ohio, 3/24/2023

[laomelettedufromage]

It’s a shame that there isn’t a popular gummy snack out there that’s shaped and colored like an eastern newt with how… gummy-like they are

[verdanturfwind]

Saw this adorable little newt today :]

[mintmerino]

my boy groot

[vandaliatraveler]

More rain in NC-WV today.  As compensation, I was mesmerized by the intense green inferno of an Appalachian forest after a steady downpour. Photos from Scott Run Trail in Coopers Rock State Forest.

From top: Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), whose roots were once used as a substitute for true sarsaparilla in root beer; deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum); sulphur shelf fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus); Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) twins; a red eft, the juvenile stage of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens); and Indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana).

[lake-lady]

I was filming this newt and he just fell of the rock #newtfail 🥺

[shrimp-and-company]

some more old workplace critters

[chunkula3]

Woe.

Newt be upon you.

[finalfortunart]

Hi, I've got an update on my online shop in the form of two new products, a ceramic mug (with colored handle and insides) and vinyl stickers. It took a bit longer than the tote bags to get these ready because neither looked as good as I wanted them to in the first samples I ordered, but they're here and ready now!

Both feature my red eft design, and 10% of the profit from the sale of these products will be donated to the Friends of Timbercrest, a volunteer group in western New York that helps maintain and run events at Camp Timbercrest, owned by the GSUSA. You can find all the red eft products here!

[failingcollege]

Red eft.