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A few short weeks ago spotted salamanders gathered at vernal pools to breed and lay eggs. Since then their eggs have started hatching, and gilled spotted salamander larvae can now be found in these pools. The larvae are major predators and consume many insects and crustaceans, including mosquito larvae and fairy shrimp. During the next two or three months, these larvae will develop lungs, absorb their feathery gills and begin life as terrestrial amphibians, assuming the temporary pool they’re in doesn’t dry up prematurely. (The two appendages, one on either side of its body in front of the gills, help the larva balance itself until its legs develop.)
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May 3, 2012 | Categories: Amphibians, Crustaceans, Larvae, May, Metamorphosis, Predator-Prey, Salamanders, Vernal Pools | Tags: Ambystoma maculatum, Aquatic Larvae, Crustaceans, Larvae, Metamorphosis, Salamanders, Spotted Salamanders, Temporary Woodland Pools, Vernal Pools | 1 Comment »
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