Pacific giant salamander

A Pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon) is a member of the family and genus of large salamanders.

Pacific giant salamanders
Temporal range: Paleocene to recent,
Dicamptodon tenebrosus 2.JPG
Dicamptodon tenebrosus
Scientific classification e
Unrecognized taxon (fix): Dicamptodon
Dicamptodon tenebrosus

The salamanders may grow up to 30 cm (12 in) long, and are found in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Apart from their large size, they are like the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae).[1]

Most salamanders are silent but the Pacific giant salamander can make noise. The adults can live on land or in water.

The genus has four species: Cope's giant salamander (D. copei), the Idaho giant salamander (D. aterrimus), the coastal giant salamander (D. tenebrosus), and the California giant salamander (D. ensatus).[2]

Pacific Giant Salamander Media

References

  1. Frost, Darrel R. et al 2006. The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the AMNH #297 [1] Archived 2016-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. David A. Goode (1989). "Hybridization and cryptic species in Dicamptodon (Caudata: dicamptodontidae)". Evolution. 43 (4): 728–744. doi:10.2307/2409302. JSTOR 2409302. PMID 28564189.

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