MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A popular species that makes a mark in the springtime is out for its early migration period. The annual migration of blue-spotted salamanders has become a cherished tradition in the north woods.
Northern Michigan University’s Biology Department runs a ‘Team Sallie’ program, with a group of students focused on collecting and studying salamander data.
“They’re definitely doing population-level work where they’re trying to understand when the salamanders migrate what cues are causing them to migrate a little bit about how many are present,” commented NMU Biology Professor Dr. Jill Leonard.
The program and temporary closing of Presque Isle started in 2020. The migration typically only occurs for two weeks in the spring, and students go out in the evening to observe and count the hundreds of salamanders. Undergraduate Team Lead Anna Hill said with each year, the population has only grown.
“Our population on Presque is kind of unique because they’re very separated from other populations so there’s not a lot of mingling,” commented Hill.
Due to the inconsistent cold temperatures, the teams’ new point of curiosity is whether or not the lack of snow dried up the moist soil that Salamanders need to mate. Most salamanders are fossorial amphibians and rely on burrowing underground.
“Most of its life it’s living underground and it doesn’t feel the effects of that weather, it’s kind of insulated from that weather but then once a year it comes out of the ground and walks across the surface to these body’s of water where it can reproduce,” continued Dr. Leonard.
This year, the team has around 80 students all focused on the safe travel of these small creatures, studying more outside elements that might impact the species migration or burrowing routine.
NMU’s study and the migration period go until roughly May 15th
