Why did the Salamander cross the road?
To get to get to the other side and fight extinction.
The City of Burlington has closed off a three-kilometre stretch of King Road from March 16 to April 8 to let a colony of Jefferson salamanders to cross between the North Service Road and Mountain Brow Road.
The amphibians are a protected species and obtained endangered status after a reassessment in 2011.
The creatures require the safe passage to complete their annual migration and lay eggs, according to a statement released by the City of Toronto.
Drivers are asked to plan for alternative routes and asked to exercise if the salamanders are spotted. Jefferson salamanders have grey or brown-coloured backs, with lighter underparts. They range from 12 to 20 cm long, their tails accounting for half of their length.
Jefferson salamanders awake in spring and can be found in temporary ponds formed from melting snow and run-off. They lay their eggs on underwater vegetation and the larvae retreats into nearby forests after they lose their gills in midsummer.