© 2021 Ross Vinocur

This week Ross Vinocur was walking on the path near the co-housing property when he encountered this little creature. It's an Eastern Newt and can be identified by the five orange "dots" bordered in black on either side of its spine. Wikipedia says: "The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish.[2] It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and it may grow to 5 in (13 cm) in length. These animals are common aquarium pets, being either collected from the wild or sold commercially. The striking bright orange juvenile stage, which is land-dwelling, is known as a red eft."

So this one must be a youngster as it remains fully orange still. Hopefully we'll be seeing it around for another dozen or so years.

©2021 Allison Snow/Peter Curtis

SPRING TIME IN New England is always a rollercoaster ride. I guess that's part of what makes it attractive (in a masochistic way!) One day you have to wear your warmest gear to deal with sub-zero wind chill temps, and the next day it's too warm for a flannel shirt! It's sunny—then gloomy. It's calm—then gale force wind. It's no wonder people like me get fixated on weather. It can make or break your day. Read More…

Tags: Skunk cabbage