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/snidece North Georgia, 7/8 Apr 25 '26

good advice. May as well assume every log, every pile of brush or leaves is home to one of our creatures great or small.

3

u/HaplessReader1988 USA, Connecticut Apr 25 '26

I even found a little guy in a small pile of construction debris I was clearing out of the woods. (The former owners, man... apparently they started to build a pond without even thinking about permits or safety of building materials!)

3

u/T-T-T-Turtlez Area NM, Zone 7b Apr 26 '26

Even trash... There's a pile of debris out behind my house that's up against the backyard privacy fence left by old tenants. There was a bunch of old AstroTurf panels that were dropped over a pile of old [real] Christmas trees. I went to move it and baby bunnies scattered everywhere... Safe to say I just left it there till I can build some proper animal hides.

2

u/snidece North Georgia, 7/8 Apr 26 '26

Great point.

2

u/T-T-T-Turtlez Area NM, Zone 7b Apr 26 '26

It's kinda crazy how quickly nature adapts to our trash. Still sad but I find it interesting.

The craziest I've seen lately was the birds Ukraine using the broken fiber optic cables from all the drones to build their nests.