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Adult, Humboldt County |
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Adult, coastal redwoods, Del Norte County |
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Adult, coastal redwoods, Del Norte County © Alan Barron |
Adult, 5,300 ft., eastern Del Norte County © Alan Barron |
Adult, coastal redwoods, Del Norte County © Alan Barron |
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Underside of adult, Humboldt County |
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Aquatic Larvae and Neotenic Adults |
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Large larva in water, Del Norte County |
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Very small larva in water, Del Norte County |
Large larva in water, Del Norte County |
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Large neotenic adult, Mendocino County. (Note the dark claw-like growths on the back toes.) © Molly Rinaldi |
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Large neotenic adult in water, 5000 ft., Trinity Mountains, Siskiyou County |
Large captive neotenic adult in an aquarium |
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Habitat |
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Habitat, Mendocino County |
Habitat, Humboldt County |
Habitat, Del Norte County |
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Habitat, Humboldt County |
Habitat, Humboldt County |
Habitat, Del Norte County |
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Habitat, 5,000 ft., Trinity Mountains, Siskiyou County
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Short Video |
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| Coastal Giant Salamander larvae shown walking and swimming in shallow water and on streamside stones. |
You can see the gills working on this tiny larva shown underwater in a small aquarium. |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 2 1/2 to 6 4/5 inches long (6.25 - 17 cm) from snout to vent, and up to 13 inches (34 cm) in total length. |
| Appearance |
| The largest terrestrial salamander in North America. Neotenic larvae may grow to almost 14 inches (35 cm.) Large robust body with massive head, and stout limbs. Tail flattened from side to side. Dark brown to near black ground coloring above overlaid with light brown spotting or fine-grained marbling. Very old animals may become unpatterened except on the head. Venter white to light gray, sometimes dark. Transformed adults have 12 - 13 indistinct costal grooves. Large adults are capable of delivering a painful bite. Neoteny can be common; gilled adults often outnumber transformed individuals. Stream-type larvae have tail fins that extend forward only to the hind limbs, often with heavy black mottling. Gills are short, bushy, and dull red. |
| Behavior |
| Transformed animals forage on the forest floor on rainy nights. Often found on roads on rainy nights. Adults are typically found within 50 meters of streams. |
| Diet |
| The diet consists of anything small enough for a salamander to overpower and eat, including invertebrates and small vertebrates such as salamanders, small rodents, and lizards. Aquatic larvae feed on small aquatic invertebrates and small fish hatchlings. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeding occurs in spring and fall. Most adults lay eggs during May underneath objects in running water and then guard them until they hatch in June and July. Larvae transform in 18 months to three years, depending on environmental conditions and the size and permanence of the stream. |
| Range |
| In California, ranges from Mendocino County near Point Arena, north along the coast and into the north coast mountain ranges as far east as Shasta Reservoir, Shasta County, and McCloud, Siskiyou County, and north to the Oregon border. From there it ranges north west of the Cascade mountains (and east of the crest in a few locations) into extreme southwestern British Columbia, but is absent from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. |
| Habitat |
| Occurs in wet forests in or near clear, cold streams and rivers, mountain lakes, and ponds. Sea level to near 7,000 ft. but mostly below 3,100 ft. Found under objects near streams, under rocks in streams, and sometimes crawling in daytime. Larvae frequent clear cold streams, creeks, and lakes and can be found under rocks and leaf litter in slowly moving water near the banks or out exposed in the water at night. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| The species Dicamptodon ensatus was split into three species when evidence showed that salamanders from the south Bay area to Sonoma County were genetically distinct from those to the north and from animals in Idaho and Montana. The northern species became Dicamptodon tenebrosus, the southern species became Dicamptodon ensatus - California Giant Salamander, and the eastern species became Dicamptodon aterrimus - Idaho Giant Salamander. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Studies indicate a long-term decline in populations after logging of old-growth forests. D. tenebrosus is far more abundant in unsilted streams than in streams silted after logging. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Dicamptodontidae |
Giant Salamanders |
| Genus |
Dicamptodon |
Pacific Giant Salamanders |
Species
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tenebrosus |
Coastal Giant Salamander |
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Original Description |
Baird and Girard, 1852 - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 6, p. 174
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Dicamptodon: Greek - two curved, bent teeth, referring to doubly curved teeth.
ensatus: Latin - dark, gloomy, possibly referring to color or habitat.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Pacific Giant Salamander
Formerly called Dicamptodon ensatus
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Related California Salamanders |
California Giant Salamander - Dicamptodon ensatus
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
AmphibiaWeb
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Amphibians of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009.
Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943.
Lannoo, Michael (Editor). Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, June 2005.
Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998.
Corkran, Charlotte & Chris Thoms. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996.
Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005.
Leonard et. al. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, 1993.
Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
This salamander is not included on the Special Animals List, meaning there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California according to the California Department of Fish and Game.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
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| USDA Forest Service |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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