Make way for the Princeton Salamander Crossing Brigade – a group of volunteers that will help the amphibians cross Herrontown Road this month.
The Friends of Herrontown Woods is organizing the amphibian crossing brigade. The volunteers will carry the amphibians across Herrontown Road to reach vernal pools – seasonal bodies of water – so they may breed early each spring on so-called “big nights.”
The Herrontown Woods Preserve and the former Lanwin Development Corp. tract, which both have frontage on Herrontown Road, contain vernal pools where the migratory amphibians go to breed. The town recently purchased the Lanwin property.
The timing of the migration – “big nights” – is unpredictable. Last year, the migrations occurred on Feb. 27, March 6 and March 27, according to the Friends of Herrontown Woods. The volunteers picked up 161 amphibians on one side of the road and put them down on the other side to continue their journey.
The crossings typically occur on the first rainy nights – generally between mid-February and mid-April – when the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the ground has thawed and the vernal pools are free of ice.
To accommodate the crossings, Herrontown Road is proposed to be closed between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on selected nights between the north entrance to the Stonehill Church and Herrontown Lane. Two off-duty police officers will be hired to provide traffic control while the volunteers carry the animals across the road.
Many of the amphibians are killed as they cross the heavily traveled road, and that’s the reason for organizing the Salamander Crossing Brigade. About 40% of the amphibians – or 109 animals – were killed in spite of the manned crossings last year, the Friends of Herrontown Woods said.
The most common species that have been observed at the Herrontown Road amphibian crossing are the spotted salamander, wood frogs and spring peepers, according to the Friends of Herrontown Woods.
Those species of amphibians are considered to be keystone species because of their roles in regulating food webs, nutrient recycling and ecosystem resilience, the nonprofit group said.
Amphibians control populations of mosquitos, and are themselves a major food source for birds, snakes, mammals and other amphibians. The loss of keystone species affects community and ecosystem dynamics.
