Author: Caleb Brandt

Caleb Brandt writes The Faunalist's snake, frog and salamander coverage. Much of it starts with a sighting: a snake on the porch, a call from the pond at night, a small striped salamander under a log, and the question of what it is and whether it is dangerous. He works from state wildlife agency field guides, USGS and museum range data and university extension publications, treats venomous identification as a safety question first, and says plainly when a popular field mark does not hold up. Caleb Brandt is a pen name used by a member of the Faunalist editorial team. He is not a herpetologist and does not claim to be one.