So the first real eventful field herping trip and I'm already stumped. Tonight I go to a spot known to produce in previous years that has been shut down for the migration earlier in the evening I spot 3 spotted crossing the road. I leave and check a few more spots and return with the migration appearing to pick up... 2 wood frogs, multiple spring peepers, newts (I'll upload all their enteries tomorrow) and the following mole salamanders
("gold flecks" on body are flashlight artifact I have an upclose albeit blurry body shot that shows there are no yellow spots alond its body wall.)
My question is I realize that there is large variation in numbers of spots on the spotteds and even that some don't have any... These 2 were found about 10 minutes apart and are within 1 inch in length of each other. Is the non spotted version a melanistic variety or is it a totally different species like a Jefferson?
(Monroe county)
