ALBANY – The Hudson Valley provides habitat for 85 percent of the state’s amphibian species and volunteers have once again begun helping ensure they continue to move from their underground winter shelters in the first to woodland pools for breeding.
Hundreds of the amphibians cross roads to reach their destinations. Volunteers of the Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings Project document Hudson Valley locations where migrations cross roads, record weather and traffic conditions, and identify and count the salamanders, frogs and toads on the move.
The volunteers also carefully held the amphibians to safely cross roads.
Now in its 10th year, more than 300 project volunteers have assisted more than 9,000 amphibians cross New York roads.
On March 29 with suitable migration conditions returning, volunteers moved hundreds of amphibians including spotted salamander, four-toed salamander, northern redback salamander, eastern newt, wood frog, American toad, and spring peeper.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation expects the migration to continue and expand to northern parts and higher elevations of the region in the coming weeks.
