What is it Wednesday archive: sometime in 2017

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday 

sometime in 2017 - one of our earliest! 

And the answer is....

This little cutie is a Red-spotted Newt. Newts are a type of salamander. 

Red Spotted Newts begin their life when they hatch from eggs laid in water. The newly hatched larvae live in water until the end of the summer when they emerge as bright orange efts. We often see this terrestrial stage of the newt on trails at Lutherlyn during wet weather. Red-spotted Newts live as efts for up to 7 years, then they become adults and return to the water to live out their life for up to 10 more years. As adults they are olive green with fin-like tails that help them swim well. 

Based on its color, the red-spotted newt in this picture is probably in transition from eft stage to adult stage, on its way back to the water, probably in Upper or Lower Lake. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!