Most of our readers are familiar with the little Red Eft, a terrestrial juvenile stage of the Eastern Newt. It’s common to see these little salamanders in moist areas while out in the woods. They are easy to spot by their vivid red-orange color. Today we are going to learn a little bit about their bashful cousins, the fascinating mole salamanders.

There are five distinct mole salamanders here in our area of the Northeast. They are the Spotted, Tiger, Jefferson, Marbled and Blue-spotted. New York has them listed as species of Special Concern. While they are not endangered, they can be rare in specific areas and if not protected they stand to lose local populations.

Mole salamanders spend the majority of their adult lives in burrows beneath the ground. They are seldom seen unless it is breeding season, when they travel around to vernal pools (often the one in which they were born) to mate and have their young.

Four of the five species breed in the Spring. Only the Marbled salamander is different and breeds in the Fall. All require vernal pools that are free of fish and other aquatic predators for their young to survive. Many other amphibians need these pools for the next generation.

As I mentioned in a past column that was dedicated to vernal pools, these temporary water bodies are disappearing quickly as land is developed. Unlike other wetlands which are year-round and well-delineated, with buffers to prevent encroachment during development, vernal pools are often bulldozed. New York State has begun to realize the need to protect vernal pools and is working on ways to save them. That’s good news for the environment.

So why did I describe mole salamanders as fascinating? There are two primary reasons. I’ll save the best for last and start with their hybridization. We all know that if we cross a male donkey with a female horse, we end up with a stubborn old Army mule. Certain mole salamanders can form hybrids also.

These groups of hybrid salamanders are all female and are called unisexual populations. They get genomes from up to five different species. The genomes can combine in different ways and can repeat in the genetic makeup. There are so many different possible combinations that biologists have given up trying to assign them unique names.

Scientists theorize that the hybridization of salamanders occurred as much as 3.9 million years ago. It created the oldest known lineage of all-female vertebrates in the world. These unisexual populations exist separately from regular salamanders.

The second reason mole salamanders are special is limb regeneration. If a predator attacks them and pulls off a leg, they can grow a new one. The new limb will be fully functional with all nerves, muscle tissue and such fully intact. The special blastema cells that are regenerated during the process can actually fix broken strands of DNA.

Imagine the implications for medical treatment. Doctors and scientists in labs are studying mole salamanders. If only they can unlock the secrets. The human body has limited (but awesome) abilities to heal when we are wounded. Just think of the possibilities if we could figure out how to generate a complete complex arm or leg with the bones and nerves and all. Like a mole salamander can. Isn’t nature amazing?

Let’s all enjoy the outdoors!

John S. Van Etten is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.