Reply
Wed 13 Aug, 2003 08:29 pm
This might be the wrong forum to post this question in, but hell, I don't care. What's going to happen? Will Craven sue me?
Anyway, I felt that I needed some fresh air and exercise so I went to Vermont last week to do a little hiking on the "Long Trail." Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative -- rained the entire time I was there -- and after two days of slogging through water up to my calves I decided to give it up. The one thing I noticed while there were these extremely bright orange lizards that appeared from nowhere. I'd be walking along and for miles and miles I would not see a single living thing, and suddenly I'd spot an orange lizard and soon more would appear. (No, I left my pipe at home) I've been to Vermont hiking perhaps a dozen times over the years and have never encountered an orange lizard before. I have tried looking them up on the internet, but so far have only found a snapshot of an orange lizard on a Vermont site with various photos from around the state. But no information on the lizard itself.
Anyone have any info on these creatures? Please pass it along.
Your friend.
Gus
As I remember, there are no lizards in Vermont and what you are trying to identify is a salamander--an ampihibian.
Could it have been what we call in the upper left-hand corner a Red Eft, aka Red-Spotted Newt and officially a Notophthalmus viridescens? They're small, harmless and, like all salamanders, need a lot of water, so it is likely they'd be more noticable in rainy conditions.
I think salamander too. Perhaps the rain drove them out.
are you absolutely sure you left your pipe at home....?
i've seen orange salamanders in vt on many trails. pretty common everywhere up there.
did you take a break at the 'long trail tavern' for a bit of refreshment?
that might explain it.
if not it had to be the magic dust in the forest.....
lizards ehh....
gus, pay no mind to the thoughtless ones who scoff. They are the perfect trail side snack (salamanders, not a2k scoffers). That tale of them being poisonous is not completely right. They wont kill you... make you a little ill thats all.
Poor thing is barely an hors d'oeuvre...
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace