Slimy New Friend

We have been loving discovering all the new animal friends here.  We have been keeping a log and trying to photograph each new bird that visits our yard or bird feeder.  There are so many!

Now that the weather is warming up the boys especially have been exploring the woods around the house and finding new creatures that Z. always wants to keep as pets.  Yesterday he found this.  Well, it actually kind of found us.  He somehow managed to get in the house downstairs and was trying to get back out.  Z. caught him in his little bug catcher and we promptly headed to the internet to find out exactly what it was.

So we believe it is a Small-mouth Salamander.  He also however has small blue spots.  So we think he might be (as the Michigan DNR website puts it) hybridized with a Blue-spotted Salamander.  Either way he is endangered.  So we spent a little time with him, photographed him, and then set him free in the woods.

We sent some pictures to the DNR to see what they say.  They are trying to find where they live and keep it documented.  So who knows, maybe we will get a visit from the DNR.

But how cute is this?

He was so excited to find it and study it and figure out what "it" was but he would not touch it.  I told him he could hold it but instead he ran inside to get J. to hold it.

Such a brave big brother!  Even Aubrey was brave enough to at least touch it, but she wouldn't hold it either.

But it was fun to find something new and see the wonders of Jehovah's creation right here in our backyard!