12 Standing along a bank of the Detroit River on a blistery January morning, Mark Vassallo struggles to fit a pair of latex gloves over his cold-stiffed hands. When he finally succeeds, he wades into the water and pulls out a trap containing a single, slippery salamander. DZS STUDY IMPROVES UNDERSTANDING OF RECLUSIVE SPECIES Despite his frigid fingers, Vassallo can’t hold back a smile. “The weather is pretty brutal for us right now, but it is perfect for them,” he says, examining the amphibian’s ruffled gills. “This is a very reclusive amphibian, and they only come up this close to the shore when it’s very cold. This is the best time to study them.” The mysterious amphibian in question is the common Small Amphibian BIG IMPACT MARK VASSALLO MEASURES A MUDPUPPY FOR DATA COLLECTION.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5Mg==