April 18th, 2013 What in the Woods is That?

What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Snowcapped Stems?

Northern Woodlands’ columnist Bryan Pfeiffer pulled this branch out of the water for a closer look. What are those whitish bumps? (Photo by Bryan Pfeiffer.)

Answer

Salamander Spermatophores.

These tiny gelatinous packages contain salamander sperm. In the springtime, males migrate to vernal pools and deposit spermatophores. The females then show up and a slithery, orgiastic mating ritual, called a congress, ensues. The female takes up the spermatophore through her cloaca, then later deposits fertilized eggs on submerged vegetation.

As one reader pointed out, it’s a particularly interesting mating ritual because it has nothing to do with male fitness – no song, or plumage, or spots – it’s simply a genetic lottery. Deposit your sperm in the right place and you win the gene pool!

Another took this a step further and suggested that Father’s Day must be a very confusing holiday for young salamanders.

Thanks to our friend Byran Pfeiffer for sharing this photo. Check out Bryan’s blog here.

This week’s contest winner was Alicia Bergeron of Newbury, NH

Visit the What in the Woods is That? archive.