Forget the Groundhog, Salamanders Signal Spring!

Immediate Release
February 6, 2009

Batavia, Ohio.  Even though the temperatures are still cold in Clermont County, some secretive, slippery creatures are preparing to emerge!  Several varieties of salamanders that live at Crooked Run Nature Preserve will soon begin to appear in large numbers, heading to woodland ponds to look for mates.

Join a Clermont County Parks naturalist for a Salamander Search on Saturday, February 21, 2009, 3 p.m., at Crooked Run Nature Preserve; the preserve is located off US Route 52 in Franklin Township.

“Salamanders are elusive amphibians,” said Clermont Parks Chief Naturalist Keith Robinson.  “They love dark, wet places, and are usually inconspicuous most of the year.  During the spring breeding season, they come out in large numbers to find mates and lay their eggs in water.”

Ohio is home to 26 species of salamanders; four of these species can be found in Crooked Run Nature Preserve.  Most salamanders are found in or near wetlands, like the one at the Chilo Park, adjacent to Crooked Run Nature Preserve. 

For more information about the Salamander Search or any of the other Clermont Parks programs, call (513) 876-9013 or visit the Web site www.parks.clermontcountyohio.gov.

Pictured above: A spotted salamander found at Crooked Run Nature Preserve

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