Submitted photo About 25 species of salamanders living in Ohio have soft, moist skin to absorb oxygen and water. They are cold-blooded, herbivores as larvae and carnivorous adults, and are both predator and prey in Ohio’s wetlands.

I came across a headline that read “Discovery of New Salamander Breed.”

Now that sounded very interesting! We read of new species found in rain forests, but in Ohio? So, I really had to dig out the information on this one. First, I want to explain. In Ohio, there is a group of animals known as amphibians. Amphi in Latin means dual, or two, and bios means life.

Many amphibians begin life as eggs in water or moist environments. Then they pass through the process of metamorphosis from egg to larva then to adult. There are exceptions to this pattern, but we need not look at those.

About 25 species of salamanders living in Ohio have soft, moist skin to absorb oxygen and water. They are cold-blooded, herbivores as larvae and carnivorous adults, and are both predator and prey in Ohio’s wetlands. According to “Amphibians of Ohio” Field Guide from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, wetlands with salamanders can have up to 98% fewer mosquitoes than those without, showing just how effective these amphibians are at controlling mosquito populations.

These shy and secretive creatures come out in great numbers in the wet spring nights and migrate to breeding grounds to mate. They are most vulnerable to car traffic, predators and humans as they seek out ponds, pools and moist areas to mate and lay eggs.

The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) has three color phases — red-striped running down the back; leadback, a dark gray to gray-black body; and red — all living in northeast Ohio. These land dwellers stay near moist areas laying their eggs under moist logs and rocks.

The larval first stage develops in the egg, and then they hatch later in the summer as the gills shrink away. They are 2 and 1/4 to 3 and 5/8 inches long.

The Northern Ravine Salamander (Plethodon electromorphus) lives in east and southern Ohio. They inhabit moist slopes of wooded ravines, in rocks and logs. They are land-dwelling in the spring and fall, burrowing deep into the soil for moisture in the summer. They are gray-black with a dark abdomen. They grow 3 to 4 ½ inches.

A professor at the College of Wooster noticed a new form of salamander in the Wooster Memorial Park, the Secrest Arboretum, as well as other parts of the area. After developing genetic markers to identify the salamanders, it was noted that the Red-Backed Salamanders and the Ravine Salamanders often mate, thus creating hybrids, a cross between the two! The paper written is “Discovery of New Salamander Breed Leads to Scientific Publication,” at the College of Wooster.