A SKETCHBOOK ODYSSEY

While cleaning and preparing the fountain in our yard for this season, I noticed a Spotted Salamander. I have never seen one of these before and it was about 6″ long. They are stout, like most mole salamanders, and have wide snouts. The spotted salamander’s main color is black with two uneven rows of yellowish-orange spots run from the top of the head (near the eyes) to the tip of the tail. The spotted salamander usually makes its home in hardwood forest areas with vernal pools, which are necessary for breeding. Spotted salamanders are fossorial, meaning they spend most of their time underground. Holbein watercolors in a 5″ x 9″ Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.