Flatwoods Salamander larvae

I recently had the opportunity to do some dip-netting for larval Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi) with amphibian folks that I work with. I didn't catch any, but they caught a total of four. This species appears to have a precarious existance with only a relatively few small populations still in existance. If I'm really lucky, maybe some day I'll get to see an adult.



This salamander was also caught. I believe it is a larval Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadradigitata).

Some other things I've gotten to see in the past few days include this Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)...

a few Southeastern Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon grobmani)
adult:

another adult secreting "slime" that can be seen especially on tail when photo is blown up

juvenile with more densely marked gold flecking than older individuals

...and many Southern Toads (Bufo terrestris), which I like even if they're common.

The dark side of the moon.

These pictures are from the lunar eclipse we watched about a week ago. We had lots of patches of crystal clear skies, so it was a great night for viewing.



The bright spot down and to the left of the moon is Saturn. We were able to see the rings through our spotting scope. According to Kelly, the bright spot directly above the moon is Regulus from the constellation Leo.