Experiencing Nature From My Backyard

When I moved to Northeast Pennsylvania for work, it was a bit of a change for me.  I grew up in the suburbs of a moderately large city (Columbus, Ohio), so I was used to the amenities you get from a metropolitan area like shopping, the arts, sports, and public services like the zoo, parks, and festivals.  I especially like the zoo.  Ever since I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, a passion that has not abated as an adult.  The Columbus Zoo is a world-class facility, one which I miss visiting.

While I have missed out on many of the perks I am used to since moving out here, there are two huge perks that I couldn't get in Columbus.  One is the night sky visibility, which is far better here due to less light pollution, and the other is wildlife, which is somewhat lacking in the suburbs of Columbus.  Being that our house is mostly buried in the trees directly adjacent to state game lands, we regularly see deer and other animals passing right through our backyard.  Deer may not sound all that interesting, but when you have bucks butting heads in your driveway, the view out the windows becomes far more exciting.

A Red-Spotted Newt in My Backyard

I came across this Red-Spotted Newt in my
backyard before work.

This morning while taking the dog out to use the facilities before I left for work, I noticed an odd-shaped red object on the ground.  From the deck it sort of looked like a rolled-up leaf, but with legs.  After my oblivious dog almost stepped on it, I moved in for a closer look, to find a Red-Spotted Newt handing out by my back porch.  It was quite noticeable being that it is a bright orange color, although not very active, barely budging when I gently nudged it with a stick (wasn't sure if it was alive).  Due to its lack of activity, getting a few excellent pictures was not hard at all.

I actually was not sure what it was when I first saw it, but a quick Google search pinpointed the species. I also picked up a few quick facts, such as the fact that this is actually the red eft life stage of the Eastern Newt, the only stage of its life that it ventures onto land.  In this stage the newt can travel quite far from where it was born, until it finds a pond and transforms into an aquatic adult.  During the eft stage, they can be found in a muddy environment, and are more easily spotted in temperate forest areas after a rainstorm. (I just exactly described the weather at my house this morning)

Had I still been a child, I almost definitely would have caught it and set up a terrarium for it.  The thought actually briefly crossed my mind this morning, though I thought it best to leave nature alone.  At least I was able to grab some shots of it before it undoubtedly scampers away.