5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

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bradlyb
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Location: Monterey, CA

5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by bradlyb »

Today I decided to set up some boardlines in an area I recently scouted, but I had to re-plan due to road closures. I decided to head out to a local park instead, and take a hike to see if I could find anything interesting at a seasonal pond.

The pictures below are from this morning, and were taken with my phone (sorry about the quality)

I only flipped a couple of rocks, but was rewarded after the second flip with two Monterey Ensatina's (Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii). http://www.californiaherps.com/salamand ... ltzii.html
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View from the trail after climbing 1000 ft. or so.
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Crazy purple mushroom (Cortinarius violaceus?) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortinarius_violaceus)
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A couple of shots of the pond.
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First Salamander at Pond (I have no idea of the species.... anyone?)
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And, finally, some pictures of the second Salamander, showing off his 5th foot!
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Owen
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by Owen »

Coast Range Newts and that double foot is a trip!
bradlyb
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by bradlyb »

Thanks Owen! It was an exciting find :thumb:
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by AndyO'Connor »

Interesting thing about extra toes and limbs in salamanders is that it is usually caused by a parasite (trematodes of some species or another) and the idea behind it is it slows the host salamander down so they are more prone to predation, and the next part of the parasites life cycle begins in the gut of a predator.
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Natalie McNear
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by Natalie McNear »

Given how poisonous newts are, is the final or next intermediate host of the trematode a garter? Or do the parasites typically target other salamanders and the infection of the newt is just incidental?

Great finds, Bradly. :beer:
bradlyb
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by bradlyb »

AndyO'Connor wrote:Interesting thing about extra toes and limbs in salamanders is that it is usually caused by a parasite (trematodes of some species or another) and the idea behind it is it slows the host salamander down so they are more prone to predation, and the next part of the parasites life cycle begins in the gut of a predator.

Wow, when I first saw the extra foot I assumed it was a genetic thing. Then, after reading a few things online, I determined it must have been caused by an injury.

I found an article calling the parasite Ribeiroia ondatrae. It is a Trematode, Phylum Platyhelminthes. It is also known to infect California Newts.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia discussing its life cycle:
"First intermediate host are ram's horn snails. Second intermediate host are fish and larval amphibians including frogs and salamanders. Inside of amphibians, cercariae are attracted to limb bud regions where the hind limbs form. As a result, large numbers of metacercariae encyst near base of the hind legs. Definitive host are predators such as hawks, herons, ducks, and badgers.

The abundance of the teratogenic trematode Ribeiroia ondatre has been found to increase in eutrophic (nutrient rich) waters."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribeiroia_ondatrae
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by AndyO'Connor »

I see it mostly in long-toed salamanders and northwestern salamanders. I believe that due to it starting with snails, it usually affects pond breeders and not creek breeders.
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Natalie McNear
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by Natalie McNear »

Fascinating stuff... I have not found any A. gracile with such deformities, though usually I don't examine them quite as closely as I used to. I'll keep an eye out for any unusual Ambystomid morphology up in Humboldt County.
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El Garia
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by El Garia »

Cool post, Bradley :thumb: That newt's a trip! I've seen a five-legged frog, but never a sallie. Beautiful looking habitat to herp.
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by AndyO'Connor »

Not as extreme as the newt above, but here's an A. gracile with an extra toe on it's hind leg (usually the hind legs that are affected)

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bradlyb
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by bradlyb »

Natalie: I am going to try to head out there a few more times in the next couple of weeks to see if I can find anymore abnormalities out there. I wish I had the equipment to test the water. The parasites are supposedly more prevalent in nutrient rich water, usually from fertilizers. That connection seems pretty odd for this location, it's in a county park bordering national forest. There are no steams flowing into it either. I am going to have to do more research to see if there are any vineyards nearby. I need to get myself one of these: http://www.sensorcon.com/sensordrone/

Andy: Awesome pic. Thanks for sharing.

El Garcia: Thanks! It was my first time to this spot, I can't wait to check it out more.
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Owen
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by Owen »

I suppose that I should actually catch and look at some of these sometime (from yesterday):

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mfb
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by mfb »

Neat observation on the deformity!

Has anyone seen a deformity like the photo below? It shows a spike-like deformity coming out of the side of the tail of an adult california newt observed during the breeding season.

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bradlyb
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by bradlyb »

Interesting. I am still trying to find time to get back out to the same pond where I found the extra foot. I will make sure to take a detailed look at the tails as well.

(Car trouble... so it might take some time to get out there... worst part is I had the Subaru loaded with tin to set up lines when it broke down! Lol)
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rpecora
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Re: 5 Footed Salamander! - and other pics

Post by rpecora »

The only abnormality I ever came across was this salamander from upstate NY. Two for one foot.
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