Frogs, Salamanders Expected to Flood Some Hudson Valley Streets
If you're driving around the Hudson Valley at night, you'll want to keep a look out for thousands of frogs and salamanders that are expected to be taking to the streets this month.
The NY State DEC is asking residents to be on the lookout for small animals that will soon be waking from hibernation. Although rarely seen throughout the year, the wooded areas of the Hudson Valley are inhabited by colonies of salamanders and frogs that spend much of their time under rocks and rotting logs.
In March and April these salamanders and frogs migrate to breeding pools that may be up to a quarter mile away from where they have been hibernating. On warmer, rainy evenings thousands of these animals can be seen crossing roads to get where nature wants them to go.
Because of this year's unseasonably warm weather, some small migrations were already documented as early as February 25. Volunteers found frogs and salamanders already making their journey in New Paltz and Catskill. Another hotspot in Rhinebeck has been quiet so far, but the next warm and rainy evening may be the trigger that opens the floodgates.
For more information on theses amphibian migrations and how you can volunteer to track them, visit the DEC's website.