Howdy, I’m in North Carolina in the Appalachians collecting salamanders. I’m looking at how logging affects salamanders that live in and around streams. So I go to streams that have had timber harvested off of both sides of them, and catch salamanders. After I catch them, I weigh, measure and preserve them (salamander pickles) so when I get back to missouri I can cut them open and really look at how well they were doing. How much fat was in their bodies and stomach contents etc.

Its been pretty nice, even the “hot days” arent that hot. And its been down to 55 at night a few times. Right now I’m at 4118 feet of eleveation and depending on where I’m working that day, I can go up or down 1,000 feet.

The worst part is all the night work I’ve done, and the occational copperhead or rattlesnake I happen to come across while I’m crawling around the forest. But I wouldnt have it any other way.
I do have a video of me “fishing” for salamanders on youtube. View it below

Josh Wisdom, MU Junior
Department of Fish and Wildlife, LSUROP intern
Mentor: Dr. Ray Semlitsch Biology