Smokies at start of march?

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skybutton
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Joined: June 6th, 2013, 3:57 pm

Smokies at start of march?

Post by skybutton »

Hey everyone. I'm headed from Florida up to the Smokies for spring break (first week in March) and don't have much experience herping there. I had two main questions: what notable (in your opinion) species are likely to be active at the very beginning of March, and also, will the presence of maybe an inch or two of snow on the group make it difficult to find salamanders even if the temperatures are high enough? And if this is the case, is it still a safe bet to look in/along streams for them? For the days that I'm there the highs are ranging from the mid 40s to upper 50s, so I anticipate it should be warm enough at least some of the time. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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ThatFrogGuy
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Re: Smokies at start of march?

Post by ThatFrogGuy »

Most of the salamanders will be active. Even if temps dip below freezing or there is still snow on the ground, you can find them in the streams.

I highly recommend this book, it has a lot of detailed information on the species in the park.
http://www.amazon.com/Amphibians-Great- ... 1572332751

You are able to find salamanders in almost any stream in the area but they are easier to catch/corral in the smaller streams.
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cbernz
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Re: Smokies at start of march?

Post by cbernz »

I've never been there in March, but I'd imagine that there will be some salamander activity in the streams, and probably some on land as well as long as you can find unfrozen ground. I have to say, it is a pretty unusual choice for an early March spring break herp trip. I'd probably be headed down to Florida if I had the free time. The Smokies are awesome in late spring and summer, though.

Bring neoprene hip boots/waders and long neoprene gloves if you plan to search the streams, because I'm betting the water will be insanely cold.
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pjfishpa
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Re: Smokies at start of march?

Post by pjfishpa »

Agree on the book recommendation. Great referance. I have found plenty of salamanders there even with snow on the ground. Pay attention to your elevation looking for P. Jordani. They really are more abundant the higher you go! Good luck and post some pics when you get back.
skybutton
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Re: Smokies at start of march?

Post by skybutton »

Thanks everyone. I actually live in Florida now, so that wouldn't be much of a spring break trip for me haha. And some of my friends have never seen snow before so they've been really wanting to go somewhere where we're likely to see snow is part of why we chose the smokies. I just checked out the Dodd book from my school's library - great guide for sure! Will report back after my trip. Thanks again!
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cbernz
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Re: Smokies at start of march?

Post by cbernz »

How was your trip? Did you get your snow and your salamanders?
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