Coastal giant salamander

Coastal Giant Salamander
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Caudata
Family: Dicamptodontidae
Genus: Dicamptodon
Species: D. tenebrosus
Binomial name
Dicamptodon tenebrosus
(Baird and Girard, 1852)

The Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) is a species of salamander in the Dicamptodontidae family (Pacific giant salamanders). It is endemic to the United States and Canada. There are three closely related species to this taxon: D. ensatus (California Giant Salamander), D. copei (Cope's Giant Salamander), and D. aterrimus (Idaho Giant Salamander).

Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, freshwater lakes, and freshwater marshes.

Pacific Giant Salamanders are protected from being killed or collected under the Wildlife Act in British Columbia.[2]

Description

The adult Coastal Giant Salamander can reach up to 34 cm (13 inches) in total length.[3] The Coastal Giant Salamander has four toes on the front feet and five toes on the back feet. The species tail is around 40 percent of the total length of the salamander and is laterally compressed. The head, back, and sides have a marbled or reticulate pattern of dark blotches on a light brown or brassy-colored background. The head is broad with a shovel-like snout and a fold of skin across the throat called the gular fold. The eyes are medium in size and have a brass-flecked iris and a large black pupil. This species is one of the few salamanders capable of vocalizing.[4]

Range

The Coastal Giant Salamander is endemic to the Pacific Northwest, found in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia.[5]

Neotenes

Some Coastal Giant Salamander larva continue to grow into an adult and become sexually mature without losing their external gills. This process is called neoteny. Neotony is particularly common in the British Columbia populations. Adult-sized neotenes have a uniform brown coloring on their heads, sides, and backs.

References

  1. ↑ Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). Dicamptodon tenebrosus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  2. ↑ Donald A. Blood, (1 Mar 1993). "Pacific Giant Salamander". Province of British Columbia Ministry of Environment. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  3. ↑ "Dicamptodon tenebrosus - Coastal Giant Salamander". Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  4. ↑ C. Michael Hogan; Nicklas Stromberg (ed.) (2008). "California Giant Salamander: Dicamptodon ensatus".
  5. ↑ "http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=59081 (image)". Retrieved 2009-04-14.