Environment

Ask An Expert: Salamanders

  • Rod Williams
  • June 9, 2021

You may have found salamanders while flipping over rocks and logs in the woods or you may have seen them scurrying in and out of your pond. In this FNR Ask the Expert video, join Dr. Rod Williams, extension specialist Nick Burgmeier and IU Northwest’s Dr. Spencer Cortwright as they discuss all things salamander, including the different species as well as some threats to these amazing amphibians.

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Ask An Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
Help the Hellbender, Purdue Extension – FNR Playlist
A Moment in the Wild, Purdue Extension – FNR Playlist
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
How Our Zoos Help Hellbenders, The Education Store
Hellbenders Rock!, The Education Store
Help the Hellbender, Website, Purdue College of Agriculture

Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Nick Burgmeier, Research Biologist and Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Featured Stories

Gloved hands place a piece of lettuce into a bowl of salad
How Indiana farmers — and you — can keep fresh produce safe to eat

Any fresh produce comes with some level of risk because it is purchased raw. When fresh produce...

Read More
A combine and a tractor with a grain cart harvest a farm field
Indiana farm fatalities trend downward

Indiana had 17 farm-related fatalities documented in 2025, according to the 2025 Indiana Farm...

Read More
From left to right: Micah Beckwith, Angie Abbott, Cory Larson, Don Lamb
Purdue Extension EDGE in Ag honors three Indiana agriculture leaders

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Extension’s EDGE in Ag program recognized three...

Read More
4-H volunteer Kristi Kretzmeier, left, stands with her husband, two daughters, two 4-H youth, and a show sheep. One youth, Kyle Albertson, sits in a motorized wheelchair, and his sheep is held in place[MCM1.1] by a specialized wheelchair attachment.
Why being a 4-H volunteer matters: Looking back on 30 years

Summer days are for 4-H in the Kretzmeier household. If you’re looking for Kristi...

Read More
Three participants, left, look at a presenter, right, who is gesturing to rows of hydroponically grown lettuce.
Workshop teaches hydroponic crop production for small-scale, commercial scale production

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape...

Read More
People walk under the Indiana State Fair covered bridge.
Purdue Extension to present engaging educational activities for all at Indiana State Fair

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Indiana State Fair kicks off Aug. 7 with the theme “Always...

Read More