Draft:Congressing

Congressing or a salamander congress, is a salamander mating ritual which occurs in spring on the Big Night. It is a gathering of salamanders in vernal pools.

Etymology


Oxford English Dictionary defines congressing as "The action of coming together... a sexual union, copulation, coition." The word comes from the Latin congressus.

Background
The mass courtship of salamanders is known a congress. The congressing event takes place each spring and this migration of salamanders to vernal pools and is known as the Big Night. When male and female salamanders meet in the vernal pools it is called a congress. The pools dry up in the summer so fish and other predators cannot survive: this makes the pools a good place for salamanders to breed and lay eggs. Normally fish would eat salamander eggs, but in the vernal pools the eggs are safe. The hatched salamanders can also thrive.

Human intervention
In cases where salamanders must cross roadways, some communities have built amphibian and reptile tunnels to assist the migrating animals travel below the roadway.

External link

 * YouTube video: Spotted Salamander Congress