RE: [vernalpool] Re: rain before, not during: Big Night uncertainty

While my experience with salamanders is more limited I can attest that
frogs are profoundly effected by wind, probably for the reason you
mention; disorientation.

Even bullfrogs in a chorusing frenzy will fall silent in a decent
breeze, as will wood frogs. Frogs depend heavily on auditory signals and
wind distorts perception of where a sound is coming from. At least I
believe that's the reason why frogs react to wind this way. That
salamanders also do is very interesting. Does anyone know whether
sallies can hear? There is no clear reason why they would need to, but
then again, there's no reason why snakes would need to hear and yet they
do have auditory structures in their skulls which assumably work.

Nicola Cataldo

Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team

New England Herpetological Society

________________________________

From: vernalpool@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vernalpool@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of jacob.kubel
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 11:02 PM
To: vernalpool@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [vernalpool] Re: rain before, not during: Big Night uncertainty

Here's my stab at it...

As I may have mentioned around this time last year, I find it difficult
to believe that wind alone has much of an effect on salamander and other
amphibian movement. In my experience, animals will be on the move even
during a gale as long as there is a steady rain (or downpour). These
guys are low to the ground and typically in the forest where they are
not very exposed to wind. However, if you take the rain away, then
amphibians seem less likely to move, especially if they need to cross an
open area (e.g., Bryan's golf course).

Wind may have a direct effect on movement behavior in open areas where,
even low to the ground, critters would be exposed to the drying effect
of wind in the absence of rain. In forested habitats, though, the
cessation of movement may be more a response to a drop in humidity than
to the wind itself. If it is windy following a rain event, there is
usually a drop in humidity associated with it (during spring in New
England, at least). However, if there is not wind following a rain
event, then humidity levels may sometimes remain suitable for amphibian
movement, which explains why some movements still occur after the rain
has ended. Hence, wind seems to become relevant only when the rain
stops, but may just be a correlate of humidity.

I do wonder, however, if wind may impact an animal's ability to orient .
. .

Jake

--- In vernalpool@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vernalpool%40yahoogroups.com>
, Bryan Windmiller <bwindmiller@...> wrote:
>
> I've actually seen spotted and blue-spotted salamanders at the Concord
> Country Club stop advancing towards their vernal pool breeding sites
when
> the rain stopped and the wind began to blow and then turn around and
head
> back into the woods.
>
> Bryan
>
> On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:39 AM, matt burne <mattburne@...> wrote:
>
> > I've certainly experienced wind having an effect, but I totally
agree with
> > Bryan's more nuanced explanation that as time marches on, those
conditions
> > which can put the brakes on earlier start to be less of a concern
for the
> > animals.
> >
> > I also agree that the big night myth is just that. I put a lot of
energy
> > and anxiety into getting people out for a spectacular event, when I
know
> > that it's maybe a 1 in 10 year thing to get a big hit (after supper
and
> > before bed time, naturally). Of course, the people that you have to
drag
> > out are usually a little less hard-core, may be less understanding
of the
> > nuances of the phenomenon, and not interested in a phone call at 2am
to get
> > boots and rain gear.
> >
> > Matt
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 10:36 AM, niccat6 <ncataldo@...> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > > I've always been somewhat surprised by how the cessation of rain
> > > > (particularly early in the season) stops the action in its
tracks.
> > > >
> > > > Matt
> > >
> > > In my experience, wind has the same stop-everything effect, no
matter how
> > > good the other conditions and timing are. Would you agree, Matt,
Bryan?
> > >
> > > N. Cataldo
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]