One commonly found wetland in CVNP is only wet part of the year. They are temporary shallow pools, called vernal pools. (The word “vernal” means springtime. The vernal equinox is the first day of spring.) Melting snow and winter rains fill these pools. When spring arrives, they make perfect amphibian nurseries. Frogs, toads, and salamanders can lay their eggs in the shallow water without fish (which need year-round water) preying on the amphibian eggs. Once they hatch out, the tadpoles eat aquatic plants while the larval salamanders eat small aquatic animals. The young amphibians stay in the water until they sprout legs and head out—hopefully before the pool dries up.
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