Salamanders and Snow

​When winter cloaks the land in its frosty embrace, most of us are thinking of the holidays filled with delicious food, drinks and gracious gift giving, but have you stopped to think about what salamanders do during the winter months? Most of us imagine salamanders tucked away, snuggled under layers of leaf litter or soil, dreaming of springtime ponds.  But the truth about these elusive creatures is a bit more enchanting than you might expect. These tiny amphibians don’t just disappear—they embark on a season of quiet magic, hidden from human eyes.

A Salamander’s Winter Lair
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Picture this: Under the snow-dusted forest floor, a tiny Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) snoozes in its cozy burrow, curled like a comma in a sentence of compassion. It’s shiny black skin, adorned with bright yellow spots, is almost too glamorous for the subterranean world it calls home. Salamanders are master burrowers, spending their winters in underground hideaways, sometimes sharing their space with earthworms or the occasional mouse.
But these aren’t just ordinary holes in the ground; they’re salamander sanctuaries! The soil stays warmer than the icy air above, offering a perfect retreat from winter’s harshness. Beneath your boots on a snowy hike, these little critters are quietly living out their frosty fairy tale.

Photo: Vernal Pool Association
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Now, picture this: In the hush of winter, when the world above is frosted in silver and white, stream salamanders weave a slow-moving magic beneath their icy, watery homes. Common stream dwellers like the northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) and the northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata) rely on cutaneous respiration, breathing through their skin in a delicate exchange with the water around them. Adults may choose to burrow in the slippery stream banks while their larvae overwinter in deep pools that don’t freeze fully. Winter’s chill may slow their movements, but the colder water holds more dissolved oxygen, drawing life from the oxygen-rich current. 

​The Winter Waddle: Do Salamanders Ever Venture Out?
Believe it or not, some salamanders do brave the winter air, especially on those rare, milder days when the snow softens and the ground thaws. While most people are aware of the term used for animals’ overwintering behavior-hibernation, people are less familiar with the term used for cold-blooded animals, brumation. Brumation is nature’s gentle lullaby, a sleepy spell cast upon cold-blooded creatures as winter’s chill settles in. Unlike hibernation’s deep 

slumber, brumation is more of a dreamy doze where salamanders tucked into leafy blankets and curled into secret chambers are suspended in stillness, waiting, half-awake, for the sun’s warm hand to nudge them back into the world of the vibrant rush of spring.
Why Care About Winter Salamanders?
It’s easy to overlook these pint-sized residents of Northeast Ohio’s forests and streams, but salamanders are vital to the ecosystem. They help control insect populations and serve as a key link in the food chain. Plus, their mysterious lives add a sprinkle of wonder to our winter worlds.
So, the next time you’re trudging through the snow on a gray February day, pause for a moment. Beneath your feet, a salamander might be dreaming of moonlit ponds, and the orchestra of spring peepers. Let’s raise an imaginary mug of hot cocoa to these magical, miniature creatures of winter. They remind us that even in the coldest, darkest months, life hums along in secret, spinning stories of resilience and wonder.
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Author

Kendra Heiser is the Furnace Run Watershed Coordinator at SSWCD.