We have been doing some specimen collecting around northwest Arkansas in spite of the HOT weather. One interesting spot we visited yesterday is an old "springbox" along the roadside just outside Rogers on state highway 12. I have spent many years poking around places like this and almost always find Plethodontid salamanders of one species or another among the leaf litter and cobblestones. This time however, we found none. In spite of the abundance of clear, cool water and seemingly perfect habitat. What we did find were an abundance of isopods (aquatic "pill bugs") and amphipods. In diet studies I have conducted on salamanders in the Ouachita Mountains aquatic crustaceans like these were always among the top prey items.
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