Did you know that Virginia hosts 53 species of salamanders, with 4 species only found in Virginia? They are a sign of a healthy environment. The smallest salamander, the Northern Pygmy, is only about an inch and half long, and the longest — the Two-toed Ampiuma — can be 3-feet long. The heaviest is the Eastern Hellbender, which can weigh 4 pounds.
Salamanders range in color, from bright red or orange to blue and green. Some even have polka dots. They are amphibians belonging to the order Caudata which means “provided with a tail. They don’t call for a mate like frogs do, but produce a smell called a pheromone which attracts a mate. Many salamanders, but not all, start their lives in water (similar to frog’s tadpoles) and go through metamorphosis to develop legs and lungs.
Master Naturalist Norma Bozenmayer shared information about salamanders to more than 30 children and their families during Library Storytime on April 14. To honor the salamander, Children’s Librarian Miss Lisa read “The Salamander Room” by Anne Mazer, and “Pip’s Magic” by Ellen Walsh. In honor of national poetry month, poems about salamanders were also read, including “A Whiff of Pine a Hint of Skunck,” a forest of poems by Deborah Ruddell.
The children then made and decorated a salamander bracelet and planted flowers in the garden by the library sign to beautify and improve the habitat for wildlife like salamanders
A Storytime Program on May 4 will be held on the Mayo River Trail to introduce the new Birds and Bugs Explorer Bucket, which is now available to borrow by the river. Call or visit the Patrick County Library for more details on their programs.
