Fire salamander find shelter in the Milseburgtunnel of the Rhön!

Fire salamander find shelter in the Milseburgtunnel of the Rhön!

Hilders (PM/CB) - The Milseburg tunnel is much more than just a simple underpass - it is a secret winter refuge for the fascinating wildlife of our homeland! With a length of around 1.2 kilometers, this tunnel is not only a well -known sleeping place for bats, but now also the new home of the extremely rare fire salamander. Who would have thought?

These shy amphibians have settled in the tunnel, and this is a real reason for joy! Driven by the idea of offering these endangered creatures a safe hibernation site, the upper nature conservation authority of the regional council of Kassel and the building yard of the market town of Hilders launched this joint project.

a team against the threat

Stefan Zaenker, employee of the nature conservation authority, came up with the ingenious idea during an annual checks on bat wintering. There he inspected the tunnel and discovered several fire salamander in his niches. "The animals obviously searched for an undisturbed hibernation!" Said Zaenker. Salamander have a soft spot for block rubble and rock columns, so the next step was to let the building yard in the middle of the Christmas preparations.

Marcel Faulstich, head of the building yard, was quickly thrilled and immediately grabbed! With the basalt block stones provided, special cavities were created at the west entrance of the tunnel, which serve the delicate amphibians as the ideal retreat. "Here in the Mambach valley we also have the water points for the larvae of the Salamander - a perfect location!"

an endangered being

The fire salamander, with its striking black and yellow pattern (a very individual design for each copy!), Is a real eye-catcher with a body length of up to 20 cm. His diet consists of small living beings such as limbs and earthworms, and the female gives birth to up to 60 living descendants that swim in fresh spring water as gill -bearing larvae.

However, this wonderful way is also about great dangers. A skin fungus from East Asia threatens the salamander populations in Central Europe and ensures that many of their peers disappear. Fortunately, this mushroom has not yet been proven in the Rhön what a ray of hope is!

The exciting season for the Salamander will end on November 1st, because then the Milseburg tunnel will be closed again for cyclists. At the next bat winter control at the end of December, it will be shown whether the newly created retreats will actually be well received by salam hikes. An exciting experiment for nature!