Salamander Migration 2016, Update #5

The forecast today is complicated by a number of factors. Rain is going to overspread our area by the afternoon and continue all night. Temperatures today will be right around the minimum threshold for amphibian migration (around 40-41 degrees) but they are also forecast to rise throughout the night. Given this combination of rain and temps, it is likely a good idea to close the road tonight. If the temps are a bit lower than forecast, there might not be any movement but if they are a degree or few higher, early males might move. We've seen it both ways over the past decade. We will continue monitoring the weather forecast and will post another update to let you know if the road will be closed today.
As for tomorrow - that will be a no-brainer. Temps are going to be around 50 and there will be rain all day and all night. In years past, we've seen big movements under these conditions right around this date.
The migration is typically a series of movements or waves to the pools with Spotted salamander males making the trek first and females and juveniles moving on subsequent rainfall events. Predicting what will happen is very stressful but also quite rewarding when we get it right and know that we are protecting the last remaining population of Spotted salamanders and Wood frogs in all of East Brunswick (and that the Spotteds can live upwards of 30 years!).
NEVER (AND WE MEAN NEVER) WALK BEEKMAN ROAD AT NIGHT IF THE ROAD IS NOT CLOSED!!!