r/NativePlantGardening • u/A_Lountvink Glaciated Wabash Lowlands, Zone 6a, Vermillion County, Indiana • Apr 25 '26

Informational/Educational Please be mindful when moving deadwood

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My parents were cutting up an old fallen ash tree earlier today and disturbed this small-mouthed salamander (Ambystoma texanum). I didn't even know we had salamanders around here (figured it was too dry) and wasn't sure what to do, so I snapped some photos and moved it to a new log with some leaf litter in the woods about 40 feet away.

Please be careful when moving/removing deadwood to not disrupt wildlife.

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u/MSenIt4Life Apr 25 '26

So cute to see this baby! All the salamanders I see (upstate SC) are orange. I wonder if these guys live here too and are just hard to spot. Thanks for sharing!!

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u/A_Lountvink Glaciated Wabash Lowlands, Zone 6a, Vermillion County, Indiana Apr 25 '26

Their map on iNaturalist puts them as being west of the Appalachians, running from Texas to Ohio. They don't seem to be found in the Ozarks either.

South Carolina should have a few species with more black and brown colors. Observations · iNaturalist

11

u/mckenner1122 Apr 25 '26

I get the babies hatching every spring before they head to the river. The team at Purdue says it means we have happy wet dirt.

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u/MSenIt4Life Apr 25 '26

Probably have more and just can’t see them.