Amphibians · Caudata · Dicamptodontidae

Coastal Giant Salamander

Dicamptodon tenebrosus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The coastal giant salamander is one of the largest amphibians in North America and one of the very few salamanders in the world able to vocalise: it gives audible barks and shrieks when disturbed. Many populations are neotenic: the adults keep their gills and never leave the water.

Size

17 cm – 34 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestMountainFreshwaterCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Mountain Freshwater

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Fun facts

It barks: it is one of very few salamanders in the world with functional vocal cords, and gives sharp shrieks and barks when handled, a disconcerting sound coming from an amphibian.
Many populations never complete metamorphosis: the adults keep their external gills, stay in the water all their lives and breed without ever leaving it, a phenomenon called neoteny.
It is a top predator in the streams of the Pacific Northwest: it eats insects, fish, other salamanders and even small rodents and shrews that fall into the water.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Cold streams in the temperate rainforests of the North American Pacific Northwest
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in cold streams
Litter / clutch size: 100 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_giant_salamander