EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Creature of Fire, Creature of Death

Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile), Family Ambystomatidae
Oregon, USA

Explanation:  Born of fire, now a denizen of death.  Here lies the intersection of mythology and natural history.  

In mid-Spring, I was exploring a small cemetery on a very remote hilltop someplace in the extensive Coast Range of Oregon.  Amidst ocean fog and dripping redcedars and bigleaf maples, I explored a bit of the social history of the area among family names and ages enshrined on the headstones and grave markers.  

Brushing off leaf litter of one stone, I was surprised to find this northwestern salamander hiding beneath.  Somehow, it seemed like a serene, quasi-animated, and so appropriate ambassador to this place, cold to the touch, resting on this cold stone, but with life within.  

Northwestern salamanders are common along the west coast of North America but not often seen because they inhabit underground burrows.  
  

Northwestern salamanders have deep and obvious "costal grooves" in the sides of
their body.  They also have partially webbed toes, as seen here.
And the lighter orange spots on the sides of the body and on the large parotid
gland on the sides of the head (just visible here) exude a mild toxin
to ward off predators.  The gland also runs down the middle of the back
and along the top of the tail..

Northwestern salamander egg mass.

I discovered this previously in a pond in northwestern California.

The bulbs of jelly encase and protect the developing larvae.

Notice that the mass seems greenish; this is not a color error. Algae sometimes grows within the egg mass and tints the jelly green.

Salamanders have a remarkable place in mythology, thought to be creatures of fire, born of flame, and cold enough to extinguish any combustion.  You can check out details of the fire-salamander yourself.  

Northwestern salamanders breed in lakes, ponds, and other standing water, which surprised me finding this healthy individual here in middle of the graveyard with no open water or streams anywhere nearby.  

Perhaps it was an overland wanderer and simply settled into the rain-soaked leaf litter accumulated at the base of the headstones.  

And now, like its neighbors here, occupies and rests in its underground chamber. 

Perhaps it was visiting a friend.  

Perhaps it was a friend.  

And thereby ... perhaps a new mythology is born.