During the Covid travel restrictions, I spent weeks observing northwestern salamanders incubating their eggs in the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, BC. These eggs, uniquely identified by their green, slimy look due to symbiotic algae, usually hatch within 2 to 8 weeks, influenced by water temperature.

In July 2021, a sudden heat wave hit Southern British Columbia, causing most egg masses to hatch within half a day. The rapid temperature increase seemed to accelerate their development. However, some salamanders, not fully ready, struggled to emerge, staying stuck in the egg mass. Adult salamanders were seen helping these trapped individuals.

Observations continued into 2022, when a large snow accumulation delayed the breeding season. A heat wave in early August triggered another mass hatching, with similar issues of some eggs remaining unhatched. In 2023, an early August heat wave again influenced the hatching, but with fewer complications due to lower peak temperatures.

Are these changes in hatching patterns a result of adaptive responses to a changing climate, or mere coincidences?