New York State is home to a vast array of creatures, including many different amphibians that love to dwell in cool, damp forest undergrowth. While traversing this trail, visitors are likely to spot frogs, toads, and lots of red efts (newts)–the juvenile and terrestrial life stage of the eastern red-spotted newts found in the Sanctuary’s wetlands. 

One of the more elusive amphibians found here at the sanctuary is the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), a kind of mole salamander which are aptly named since they spend most of their time underground in tunnels and vernal pools. Characterized by the bright yellow spots found on their dark bodies, spotted salamanders display aposematism–the use of bright coloration to alert predators of their toxicity–to warn predators that they are bitter and poisonous when eaten! Thankfully, spotted salamanders are not poisonous or harmful to humans. Spotteds are not endangered or of special concern in New York, but are still considered to be a rare and special find because of their proclivity for remaining beneath the forest floor!