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Yan Hui Life in a Vernal Pool
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 Dwarf Salamander, Eurycea quadridigitata, found on the forest floor near the pool. Salamanders were spotted darting across the forest floor close to the pool area. They were seen either in pairs or alone. The salamanders were dark brown in color and about four inches in length, including their long tails. They had four toes on each of their hind legs and a dark brown stripe along their sides. There are also dark spots on their backs. Based on literature from the Internet, I identified these salamanders as dwarf salamanders, Eurycea quadridigitata. They are very common on the coastal plain, especially near pine savanna ponds. These salamanders court during the fall and lay their eggs in late fall to early winter. Since I had found no salamander eggs, I inferred that these salamanders might just be courting as it was early fall.  A young Gulf Coast Toad, Bufo valliceps, found among the leaves near the vernal pool. A young smooth-skinned toad was seen near the pool. It was very light brown in color with a creamy underside. It was about 1.5 inches in length and 0.8 inches in width. A light yellowish stripe was present at the middorsal and along both sides of the toad. There were darker brown stripes on the hind legs and the front toes. Its cranial crests were well defined, forming ridges and valleys between them. Based on literature from the Internet, I identified the toad to be the Gulf Coast toad, Bufo valliceps. This is a very common toad in the Gulf Coast region that breeds during spring and summer. |
During the period when the vernal pool was flooded, I witnessed the full life cycle of the mosquito, from larvae to pupae and finally to adults. I also observed freshwater snails, dobsonfly larvae, and guppy fish in the water. However, I could not document the breeding activities of the bigger species like the salamander and the toad. No eggs, larvae, or tadpoles were found. Based on the documented breeding patterns of these species, the breeding season for the toad is already over, and for the salamander it has yet to come. My observations of a young toad and pairs of salamanders playing on the forest floor by the pool support this conclusion. Overall, I have learned a great deal from this project. I learned about the types of organisms that depend on the vernal pool for their life cycles, the breeding seasons of different species, and how organisms adapt to the variable duration of the vernal pool. The Kinkaid vernal pool is flooded for only a short amount of time, which limits the types of organisms that can breed successfully in the pool. Perhaps during the rainy season the pool will stay flooded for a longer time and allow larger species to breed successfully. The water quality was relatively good during the period of study and was hospitable to living organisms. I went back to the vernal pool on October 25. The pool was dry, but moist earth was still present. Many salamanders were seen running about in the moist earth of the pool. A young toad was also seen near the dried-up pool. The fish and the insect larvae had since died. Materials and Equipment Used
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