Difference in yellow and blue spotted migration dates?

Simland

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Hi,

I've never gone herping during salamander migrating season, but I decided to try that this year to have more chance of finding burrowing salamanders (blue spotted and yellow spotted).

I was wondering if people with experience have noticed a difference in the start dates for different species. For instance, is it possible that yellow spotted salamanders generally start their migration a few days later than blue spotted salamanders.

I went out last night (which was probably the first night that was warm enough) to a place where I'd found a blue spotted salamander before, in the summer. There, I found a blue spotted salamander and two huge ones that were most likely blue spotted/Jefferson hybrids, but no sign of yellow spotteds (or any other species for that matter).

Given that the season isn't very long, I was wondering if that's a sign I should concentrate my efforts to find yellow spotted salamanders somewhere else. I know a place where there are some and where there's plenty of vernal pools for them to migrate to, but I'd rather not go there.

By the way, I was also wondering what's the lowest temperature these species will come out at. There's some rain in the forecast for this week, but the temperatures will also dive to highs of 51.8F and lows of 33.8F on those days.
 
I have heard blue spotted can tolerate a little bit more cold then yellow spotted. I have even found blue spotted in December and I live in northern Illinois

I have only found one yellow spotted where I live and it was about a month ago under a log during a heavy rain.

im not sure about where you live but around here blue spotted seem a lot more abundant . Really your best chance is just looking under a lot of logs in the woods especially by a pond or wetland.

50 degrees is definetley warm enough, 30 is a bit cold.
 
Yeah, apparently, while they're common here, they have a very spotty distribution. I managed to get some information on where I could find some for sure.

Before that, I'd only ever found one and it was so far from any pond or vernal pool (that I know of) that I couldn't help but wonder what it was doing there.
 
Thanks for the info about blue spotted salamanders being a bit more cold resilient.
 
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