Welcome to our Salamander Spotlight Series!

🔎 First things first - what even IS a salamander? Salamanders might look a little like lizards, but they're actually amphibians — more closely related to frogs and toads than to reptiles. Unlike lizards, salamanders have moist, permeable skin, and many rely on their skin and the lining of their mouths to breathe. Some live mostly on land, others spend their entire lives in water, and many depend on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats throughout their lives. Here in the Eno River Basin, salamanders can be found in all kinds of places, from damp forests and hidden spaces beneath logs to the rocks and leaf litter of the Eno River and its tributaries. Despite being small and secretive, they're important members of these ecosystems, helping regulate invertebrate populations, serving as prey for other wildlife, and acting as important ecological indicators. Over the coming weeks, we'll introduce you to some of the fascinating salamander species found in our own backyard, exploring their unique adaptations, surprising behaviors, and the habitats they depend on. 🌿 Stay tuned to meet some salamanders of the Eno! 📸: “Marbled Salamander” by Peter Paplanus via New Georgia Encyclopedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0. [Image description: a marbled salamander rests on leaf litter] #EnoRiver #AmphibianConservation #SalamanderScience #SalamanderSpotlightSeries