Wildlife of the James

Spotted salamanders love the night life!

A cold, miserable night in mid-February, with the temperature hovering just above 40 degrees, puts the James River’s spotted salamanders in a romantic mood. To view this annual mating ritual, stay up late. Take a flashlight, dress warmly and go west of the James River Park’s Pony Pasture Parking lot on Riverside Drive to find an ideal place to spot these amorous little amphibians. But don’t look for them in the river ... check out puddles and muddy indentations.