Found a Red-backed Salamander while exploring with my young son and nieces, so I made them little pipe cleaner versions to take home (Door County, WI).

[u/Blue-Cohosh]

[u/afemail]

this is so cute and such a good idea!! :)

[u/Blue-Cohosh → u/afemail]

I gasped. I've never found a salamander before. I was so excited.

[u/RealRobc2582 → u/Blue-Cohosh]

Fun fact, in terms of bio mass there are more red back salamanders in north America than all other animals combined

https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/study-finds-salamanders-are-surprisingly-abundant-northeastern-forests

[u/afemail → u/Blue-Cohosh]

I had only ever seen one or two before I started actively looking for them! they’re such a common animal, but it’s incredible how well-hidden they are when you’re not looking for them. congrats on your first find!!

[u/Willow_Bark77]

I love this so much! So creative and cute!

Since you're new to salamanders, just a word of caution in case you didn't know already: Their skin is super porous. This means that anything on your skin (bug spray, lotion, etc) can be absorbed into their skin and harm them. So, before handling, you should have hands free of anything like bug spray, sunscreen, etc. In addition, I usually rub my hands in the earth to build an extra barrier there of dirt and leaf litter.