The Jefferson salamander is back to flex its road-blocking mojo in Burlington, Ontario, a tradition since 2012. Starting March 12, a chunk of King Road will shut down for a month, giving these endangered love-seekers a clear shot at their breeding ponds.
Conservation Halton warns that these grey-brown, blue-flecked critters—up to 20 cm long with tails half their size—will brave traffic to reach their natal run-off pools. Protected nationally and provincially due to habitat loss, they emerge from underground lairs as spring rains hit, laying eggs on underwater plants. Adults split post-romance, while juveniles ditch gills by late summer and bolt for the forests, living up to 30 years.
Burlington’s bending the rules for this slimy crew—traffic be damn