Hidden Worlds

Some of the best places to find beauty in the world are the very last places people think to look. In the modern world of structured life with manicured lawns and gardens the fallen logs and rocks that litter the forest floor are looked on as just that – litter. But logs and rocks have important roles to play. Most serve as habitat to many of the forest’s most beautiful and interesting creatures.

The next time you wander through a friendly woods pause a moment to turn over a nice decaying log or flat, moss-covered rock. You may just discover some of the beauties pictured below:

Spiders like to hang out under rocks. Don’t worry about getting bit unless you are determined to pick them up. Even then, as long as you are gentle, most spiders won’t bother biting something so big as you.

Salamanders are my version of buried treasure – the thing that I am searching for every single time I turn over a log or rock. They seem too cute to be real. Some of the more colorful species that live in our area look more like little plastic toys than living breathing animals.

The salamander above is called a red-backed salamander. See the brick-red stripe that runs from its nose to the tip of its tail? The degree of redness in the stripe can vary among these salamanders and some even look more gray than red. These are the most common salamander we find in our area. It has been said that all of the red-backed salamanders in an area would weigh more than all of the other small animals combined – that’s a lot! Anything that is so prevalent usually ends up being a versatile food item. If you can think of anything in the woods that would eat a worm, they would eat one of these little guys, too.

Many people mistake these for worms or “baby snakes” when they find them under logs and rocks. Their tiny legs and feet are brown and blend in very well with the dirt around them.

Red-backed salamanders are not like their salamander relatives: they are terrestrial, living out their lives completely on land. They are true amphibians, which means they go through metamorphosis as they develop, only the aquatic nymph stage (like a salamander tadpole of sorts) happens within the egg instead of in water.

Red-backed salamanders are also unusual because of how they breathe. Like most amphibians, they can absorb oxygen through their moist skin. However, they absorb all of their oxygen through their skin because they don’t have lungs. Because of this it is best to handle red-backed salamanders as little as possible. Because of their special skin it would be very easy for the oils, dirt, and chemicals on our skin to interfere with their ability to breathe properly. If you find them use two fingers to quickly move them out of the way before you return the log or rock to the ground.

Red-backed salamanders are also interesting because of how they defend themselves from predators. Redbacks are able to make their tails fall off. When this happens, nerves in the tail cause it to wriggle like a worm for several seconds, thus serving as a distraction so that the important parts of the salamander can escape. After a while a new tail grows in place of the old one. When you find these salamanders look at the tip of their tail – if it comes to a clean point, it is probably the original tail. However, if the end is blunt, it is probably at least the second tail the salamander has possessed in its lifetime.

Speaking of salamanders, the salamander pictured above is called the blue-spotted salamander. They are easily recognized by the field of tiny light blue spots over a black background. These salamanders belong to a larger group of salamanders known as mole salamanders because they dig deep burrows in the ground (like a mole!). Blue-spotted salamanders are more of a traditionally known salamander: they breathe with lungs, lay eggs by the hundreds in water, and have more of a classic salamander shape than redbacks do. (Redbacks are slender because of the lack of lungs – don’t need all of that extra space!)

As colorful as this creature is, it is not a caterpillar. Nor is it a centipede. This is, in fact, a millipede. I have found several different millipedes in the eastern woods and this is by far the most colorful and exciting to find. If you pick one up give it a smell – millipedes secrete a substance that some think smells like chocolate-covered cherries (I think it smells more chemically, like formaldehyde or something similar). The secretions are meant to make the millipede smell and taste bad so you won’t eat it. Their other defense is to roll up in a ball and hope predators can’t bite through their hard exoskeleton.

Millipedes vs. Centipedes:

• Legs – Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, centipedes have only one pair per segment.
• Speed – Despite being the clear winner in the “who has more legs” category, millipedes are slow moving whereas centipedes are quite fast.
• Position in the Food Chain – Millipedes are decomposers. They spend their time munching on dead or decaying plant material and end up recycling it into rich dirt to help the forest plants grow. Centipedes are predators. They chase after prey and have a venomous bite (that’s why they are faster).

Before you begin madly turning over logs and rocks in search of wondrous creatures there are rules and etiquette that must be adhered to. The rules are for the safety and continued prosperity of the animals underneath, as well as for your own safety.

• Always pull the log or rock towards you. Grab the part of the log or rock that is farthest from you and pull. You should have to lean forward to look underneath. The reason for this rule is because not everything that hangs out under rocks is looking to be admired. Snakes are often found under rocks and, while this is always a cool thing for you, snakes don’t really appreciate having their roofs ripped off from over their heads. If you pick up a rock the way you would open a box it creates a scared snake and a trapped snake. A trapped snake’s only defense is to bite. There are also ground dwelling bees which may make their entrance near a landmark like a log or rock. By pulling the log or rock towards you, you create a clear avenue of escape if there are bees or upset snakes (and you get a few extra seconds to drop the rock and go in the opposite direction!).
• Always put the log or rock back where it was originally laying. The animals that hang out under rocks are there for a reason – it’s safe and damp. If you disturb a log or rock and don’t place it back where it originally set you are, in essence, ruining the home of many creatures. By making sure the log or rock gets back as you found it you insure that the earth beneath remains moist and protected from the sun and air (and stays a great place for critters to live).
• Always release animals next to the log or rock. Don’t put animals back where the rock was and then lay it back on top of them. Just because you found them there, the odds of setting them in a position that will make sure they aren’t smushed when the rock is replaced is about a million to one. Return the rock or log to its original position and then place the animals you found right next to it – they will find their way back under on their own.
• Wild animals can take much better care of themselves than you ever could. I want to keep every salamander I find because they are just too darn cute. But, I don’t. I always release them. No matter how noble our intentions, wild animals belong in the wild. The best way to keep them with us is through our memories. Draw a picture, take a photo, write down rambling stories of your adventures – these are the best ways to take and keep nature with us.

Now you’re ready! Go out and explore, and don’t forget to take your camera!