What is this gelatinous mass under a stream rock?
Look at who is guarding the goo for a clue!
These are the developing eggs of the Northern Two-Lined Salamander!
Northern Two-Lined Salamanders are found throughout Vermont in small rocky streams, seeps and springs. They attach fifteen to over one hundred eggs to the underside of a rock in flowing streams or spring water. One female guards the “nest,” where sometimes multiple females have laid eggs. The eggs hatch into aquatic larvae with tufts of external gills. After two to three years, they transform into adults, which are around 2.5 inches long and have the characteristic two dark lines bordering a yellow-brown stripe from their head to their tail.
Try flipping stream rocks and see what mysteries you discover!
