Shallow water creature

I know the rain like the clouds know the sky A questioning amphibian

[valhelos]

[shallowwatercreature]

First rainy evening walk of 2026

A little while ago I went on a rainy spring evening walk in hopes of bringing out my salamander side a bit more. This is something I plan to do more this year since salamanders are most active on rainy nights.

Perhaps it was the still slightly icy trails or the difficult hills on the way back that caused the opposite effect. I didn't feel like a slow moving amphibian creeping out of my shelter to search for food, but rather a clumsy, sweaty, tired human stumbling home before dark on slippery, uneven ground.

The most amphibian I felt that evening was when I stopped to look at a pocket of air stuck under ice and further submerged by the rain. Crouching low to the ground gave me a small creature's point of view, taking a closer look at the forest floor and spending a moment to feel the textures and temperatures of my surroundings.

I figure that rain walks shouldn't focus on the journey or the destination, but rather the experience. Moving slowly at a salamander's pace and stopping frequently to take it all in is where that experience is found.

[bedupolker]

Amphibian migration season is coming this spring. Remember to drive slow!

[bedupolker]

it's that time of year... (I think? I'm not on the east coast rn)

[shallowwatercreature]

Questioning process - Known feelings and experiences

Appearance

-flat, tadpole-like tail

-likely cryptic coloration for camouflage, probably not bright warning color

-I feel like a relatively small creature, smaller than a hand

Behaviour

-swimming just below the surface and gliding just above the sand at the bottom

-being out in the rain and damp weather

-crawling into small forest places, under rocks, between roots, through undergrowth in the woods

-climbing out of the water and onto shore, rocks, branches, etc.

Habitat

-slow moving or still water like ponds, lakes, streams, puddles

-somewhat humid but not like a rainforest

-plenty of soil, not very rocky terrain

Diet

-no specific food related shifts or feelings

-probably small invertebrates but the idea of eating bugs turns my stomach enough that I haven't thought about it

[thatpolykin]

I don't know if you're still questioning but LOOK INTO MUDDSKIPPERS! YOUR DESCRIPTION SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE WHAT I WENT THROUGH WHEN I WAS QUESTIONING

[shallowwatercreature]

I am still questioning, it might take a while but spring is the best time for shifts so that helps.

I did some light research on mudskippers after seeing this and they do match my experiences a fair bit, though I'm not certain if the limbs match the kind of feelings I get. I feel like this theriotype is more freshwater than brackish water, but some mudskippers live in mangrove tree habitats which feels familiar to me. My shifts feel more four-limbed but I will continue looking into them and add an entry in my questioning journal about it!

[amalgamation-howling]

big fan of dirt

[thatpolykin]

big fan of mud

[caveat-canine]

I am completely and utterly normal about rivers, creeks, lakes, forests, ponds, hills, mountains, and other natural landscapes (lying)

[shallowwatercreature]

Questioning a theriotype but online research is slow and you're not sure what species to look at? Go to your local library and check out some nonfiction books about similar animals!

I learned so much more and made more progress from the salamander section of a "tracking amphibians and reptiles book" and taking notes in a journal than I have with googling salamander types and trying to find documentaries.

Animal ID guides, animal tracking guides, "all about (animal)" type of books, animal encyclopedias, and so much more.

You can get so much information about habitats, diet, behavior, life stages, appearance and seasonal habits of many similar creatures in one book rather than having 20 tabs open on your device.

Take notes! Write little journal entries about the different types of animals you learn about, how their lifestyles differ from one another and how that corresponds to shifts or experiences you have. Consider details you didn't think about before, and if you may feel any connection to them after researching.

I hadn't thought about salamanders having a burrowing behavior until I read about it, but then realized I have always been drawn to tiny gaps and crevices near or in the ground, but never connected the two things.

I highly recommend checking out a few books and learning some things about your animal self!

Note: online research is still a very valid way to learn about your theriotype, I just find books to be compact and efficient, and they have no ads or paywalls.

[shallowwatercreature]

Questioning process - Known feelings and experiences

Appearance

-flat, tadpole-like tail

-likely cryptic coloration for camouflage, probably not bright warning color

-I feel like a relatively small creature, smaller than a hand

Behaviour

-swimming just below the surface and gliding just above the sand at the bottom

-being out in the rain and damp weather

-crawling into small forest places, under rocks, between roots, through undergrowth in the woods

-climbing out of the water and onto shore, rocks, branches, etc.

Habitat

-slow moving or still water like ponds, lakes, streams, puddles

-somewhat humid but not like a rainforest

-plenty of soil, not very rocky terrain

Diet

-no specific food related shifts or feelings

-probably small invertebrates but the idea of eating bugs turns my stomach enough that I haven't thought about it

[shallowwatercreature]

One specific struggle I have with narrowing down my theriotype is appearance and skin pattern. Do I resonate with this species because it looks like how I feel I should look as an amphibian, or because it looks cool and my mind latches onto the species?

When I draw myself as a salamander it usually involves browns, tans and greys, with a pattern to camouflage with the mud and pebbles of shallower waters I inhabit.

This is mostly what I think a salamander looks like rather than any specific species. It's probably best to research habitat and behaviour first before focusing on appearance.

[eldesvandesheyenne]

[sodapop--stims]

Water Plants

🌿🍵🌱

X - X - X

X - X - X

X - X - X

x

[pokemonarchive]

Quagsire & Clodsire (2025) - TCG Pocket Playmat Illustrator: HYOGONOSUKE

[liquial]

[shallowwatercreature]

Very mild winter day today, I could smell the increased moisture in the air compared to normal cold dry winter air.

I can't wait for proper spring.

[shallowwatercreature]

I'm starting the new year off with resuming the questioning process to see if I can narrow my theriotype down to a specific kind of newt or salamander.

The first step will be the same as I did to start figuring out my bird theriotype in 2018: look through field guide books to see the basic appearances, habitats and behaviours of different species. The rest will be online research and recording any shifts and urges that I notice, especially during late winter and early spring when they are most common.

[herpsandbirds]

Salamanders in the family Salamandridae Andalucia, Spain

L - Sierra Morena Fire Salamander (Salamandra s. morenica)

M - Southern Marbled Newt (Triturus pygmaeus)

R - Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl)

photographs by Pedro Verdejo

[vampiregirlestrogen]

i should have a big fuckass tail so i can hit people with it and be annoying