Another pool visitor, updated

[Jbailey]

Here's another denizen looking for a winter home in our swimming pool.
There have been several of them as usual so far this season along with a couple of plump bull frogs. I try to relocate them under damp logs or the like. They wouldn't be very happy when I dump in a large amount of chlorine when I cover the pool for winter.

He is on a sheet of styrene covering a piece of photo mounting board. The light tent was a section cut from a gallon plastic bottle. I used one flash to the left.

The salamander was returned to the pool skimmer to recover for a few days. I kept the photo session to much less than ten minutes.






I have been getting so many frogs and salamanders in my pool since this post first appeared that I have been relocating them to a pond about a half-mile away.

Here is the only one I retrieved that has yellowish orange spots.


Jim

[Aynia]

He's really lovely. He also looks very smooth!

[NikonUser]

Nice shot. This is, of course, a Mole Salamander and hibernates underground so you are doing the correct thing to relocate away from the pool.
One of an interesting group consisting of Blue-spotted, Jefferson, and a hybrid between these 2. This one looks like a classical Blue-spotted Ambystoma laterale.

[beetleman]

An excellent photo Jim. Take good care of them because they are in decline all over the world.

[Jbailey]

Thanks for the comments and ID. My Grandchildren like to see them too.

Jim

[Harold Gough]

Handsome beasts. Any chance of shots from the side?

Harold

[Jbailey]

Thanks, Harold. There will be no more salamanders till next year. It's too cold now and the pool is closed. I'll play with them again on their next visit. I see we have a new member who kindly provided us with a side view. It was a good shot, no?


Jim

[Harold Gough]

Perhaps it is worth a note here for anyone knowing little or nothing about the biology of amphibians who may want to photograph them.

They are in trouble worldwide and microbial infections seem to be involved. This requires some biosecurity measures in handling them (where this is not prohibited by wildlife protection laws), especially if taken to a studio setting for photography.

Don't bring individuals from different locations together in the same place.

Alway return them to where you found them.

Handle as little as possible and indirectly, where possible, rather than touching them.

Clean, or dispose of, any artificial surface on which they have been placed. (Chemicals such as bleach can be toxic and must be thoroughly rinsed off).

Harold