William Feng, Bobby's Run School
Burlington County
Blue-spotted Salamander. Burlington County William Feng
Blue-spotted Salamander
I poked my head out of my egg shell and wiggled my tail until I reached the edge of the gel. Then I landed in the water. I stared at my reflection in the pond. ”Hey. I’m a Blue-Spotted Salamander!” I thought. My 2-30 other siblings also began to get out of their eggs, and came into the water too. I peered around me and found I was in a shallow pond with some smaller fish swimming in it. A few stray leaves float on the surface of the pond while some branches hang low in the water. I started to look for some small insects to eat as I began my journey in North Jersey.
I found myself growing front legs after 2 weeks, and then hind legs a week later. About 90-100 days after I hatched, I was ready to leave the pond with fully grown front and hind legs. Now I am able to eat bigger prey such as worms, snails, and tadpoles. I ventured out into the wild and lived on my own for a while. I like to live in a small burrow in the wet soil that I call home. After 2 years or so, my sweetheart and I both returned to my nesting place to lay eggs. However, my nesting place had been turned into a road. I was fortunate not to get run over by a car after I laid my eggs; however, my babies were not as lucky as me. They were gone, crushed into little bits by the car. This is how we are becoming an endangered species.
Please help protect us by stop cutting trees for building houses and roads in the forests we live in. Otherwise, your grandchildren or even you would only be able to see us in photos.
Written by: William Feng
Bobby's Run School, Lumberton
Teacher: Mrs. Carver