Massachusetts residents, meet the critter who could become one of the state’s newest official animals.
A group of students from Andover have made it their mission to bring awareness to the blue-spotted salamander and its impact on the local ecosystem by having it officially recognized as the Massachusetts state salamander.
The blue-spotted salamander, found in Massachusetts primarily in Essex, Middlesex and Worcester counties, is a species of salamander characterized by its vibrant color pattern. The amphibian has been categorized as threatened in some parts of the state under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.
Andover Animal Advocates first started in 2019 as a Destination Imagination project created by high schoolers in the area, according to its website. They began collaborating with the Andover Conservation Commission and the Massachusetts State Conservation Commission to raise awareness about the 29 endangered species native to the town and its surrounding wilderness.
To accomplish this goal, the group decided to choose an endangered species that was important to the local ecosystem. They took on the challenge of naming an official state salamander because the species is often an indicator of how well the ecosystem is doing due to its extreme sensitivity to changes in the environment. These creatures live in vernal pools, a seasonal habitat that houses many different amphibians.
After conducting a state-wide vote several years ago to choose the salamander that would champion this cause, the blue-spotted salamander came out on top.
“My mom and I talked to the Vernal Pool Association, and we got feedback from them,” said Semona Peet, a 12-year-old from Southborough who began collaborating with the Andover group after initially working with a representative from her town on a similar bill. “They told us either yellow-spotted salamander or blue-spotted salamander would be one of the best choices because they’re just really beautiful and charismatic. I decided on the blue-spotted salamander because it needs more help.”
With backing from U.S. Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Mass. and U.S. Rep. Tram Nguyen, 18th-District for Mass., the students submitted a bill to the State Oversight and Regulatory Committee earlier this year to officially designate the amphibian as the commonwealth’s first state salamander.
On Tuesday, Peet and Srinikhil Velagapudi, a 15-year-old whose older brother, Sriniketh, worked with the original group when it began, testified before the State Oversight and Regulatory Committee in an effort to get the bill passed. According to the pair, the group had testified twice in the past but the bill was rejected both times. This time, the duo is more confident the bill will go through.
“This year we contacted a lot of organizations and, between me and Srinikhil, we actually emailed all of the senators and representatives,” Peet said. “So I feel like we might have a little bit of a better chance because more people know about us now.”
According to Peet and Velagapudi, the committee has until Aug. 23 to inform their group of the decision regarding the bill. Regardless of the outcome, the students are optimistic.
“Raising awareness for this species will raise awareness for many other amphibians and other smaller creatures in the vernal pool ecosystem,” Velagapudi said.