Salamander??

Dichrofisher · 07-30-2007, 08:52 PM

I was up at Mineral Camp (behind Dorena Lake in Cottage Grove) doing some prospecting and came across a very large or what I think it was a salamander. It was living in a small (see picture 1) still water undercut section of the creek. It was huge, ten inches in my estimation. The yellow handled trowel in the picture is ten inches and it is lying next to it for comparison. The critter had red velvety fan coral like gills. I saw a smaller one about half it's size and that I assumed to be it's mate and also saw a couple of what looked like egg sacks in the water. The pictures aren't that great, but has anyone ever seen one of these large salamanders? Can anyone identify it? Oncorhynchus? I looked up on the internet but all I could find was a giant pacific salamander.....

Hanapaa · 07-31-2007, 08:23 PM

That's crazy. I studied Cope's Giant Salamander, the Washington version of the Pacific Giant Salamander, my first time through college. It looks very similar to it, but you're right, 10+ inches is HUGE. I heard that they can get up to 14", but had never seen one past 8.These are cool, as they live in water, but usually eat on land. You probably made a good decision in leaving it alone. These things can bite, and it can do some damage. These things will eat whatever it can kill, even small rodents.

Troutski · 07-31-2007, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanapaa

That's crazy. I studied Cope's Giant Salamander, the Washington version of the Pacific Giant Salamander, my first time through college. It looks very similar to it, but you're right, 10+ inches is HUGE. I heard that they can get up to 14", but had never seen one past 8.These are cool, as they live in water, but usually eat on land. You probably made a good decision in leaving it alone. These things can bite, and it can do some damage. These things will eat whatever it can kill, even small rodents.

Just what we need a carnivorous Salamander......just when you thought it was safe to go in the fresh water.

Cool to know that they are alive and well in Oregon.

Chuck

Hanapaa · 08-01-2007, 09:41 AM

Well, us fisherman should be safe as they eat on land and at night. They spend the day in the water to stay cool and protected from predators. But it is always better to play it safe.

Oncorhynchus · 08-01-2007, 01:18 PM

Ok it looks to be a larval pacific gient salamander dicomptadon tenabrok proboly spelled the sci name wrong. due to the pic its hard to tell but with thows big gills that overlap the arms im almost sertain its a Pacifc gient

Ok Hanapaa if it was a copes it would still be a larva so it would never go on land meaning it would eat in the water. Copes rarely transform into full adalts but when they do they eat on land. And the adalts are almost never over 8inchs. You are right about the rodent eating thow.

On the other hand Pacifc gients transform in to adalts most of the time and live permanetly above the surface. They can grow to 12inchs long and do bite but it doesnt really hurt ive been bit many a times.

heres a pic of 2 my herping buddy and me caught its not my pic its his the one on the bottom is all messed up from fighting with another male proboly over a female.

one hideing out during the day.

A female about to lay eggs

The pics are not mine but i found or helped find the animals in them.

Hanapaa · 08-01-2007, 05:15 PM

Cool. Yeah, I didn't think it was a Cope's, especially because Cope's are mainly in the Olympic area of WA and are quite smaller. Salamanders are cool (anything that can go from aquatic to terrestrial whenever it pleases is cool to me).

Dichrofisher · 08-01-2007, 06:58 PM

The pictures that Onchorhynchus put up and the pictures I have seen on the internet of the Giant Pacific Salamanders all have variegated patterns on most of their bodies and at least their heads. The ones I saw were just dark brownish grey. And the heads on these things were so broad, flat, lots of crushing power! The eyes are almost pointing forward as well. The crazy thing was I was watching Lord of the Rings on saturday, and then on sunday I was up there prospecting when I ran into that Crniverous Newt it reminded me of what was "stirred up in the dark" when the dwarves mined too deep into the mountain!

Osprey · 08-01-2007, 08:48 PM

I've seen those newt's a couple times in my life. But there's another type I've seen in an area up by Alsea Falls while deer hunting that were just scary. I was walking through an area that has ferns that are about 6 foot tall and very thick with deer trails everywhere when I ran accross a lot of these really creapy salamanders. They're shinny black with bright yellow spots. And, when you get to close they puff up and hiss at you. Very nasty buggers! They too were about 8 to 10 inches long. This spot is on a hill side under old growth and is pretty wet, but there's only a small creek that goes through the area. It gives me the willies every time I go up there and run into these little beasts.

Here's a pic I found online.

Oncorhynchus · 08-01-2007, 09:23 PM

The pics i posted were of a adalt trust me it was a pacific gient. You found a larval one.

Dichrofisher · 08-02-2007, 12:19 PM

Cool! Thanks for the replies......The reason I found one was due in large part to mining activity. I feel bad for digging into the bank of the creek sometimes, but it is also apparent that the place where they were breeding was created by the same activity. I will definetely be more cautious when reaching my hand into the undercuts and beneath the moss next time I go prospecting.

07-30-2007, 08:52 PM	#1
Dichrofisher Sustained Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Yewgene Posts: 276	Salamander?? I was up at Mineral Camp (behind Dorena Lake in Cottage Grove) doing some prospecting and came across a very large or what I think it was a salamander. It was living in a small (see picture 1) still water undercut section of the creek. It was huge, ten inches in my estimation. The yellow handled trowel in the picture is ten inches and it is lying next to it for comparison. The critter had red velvety fan coral like gills. I saw a smaller one about half it's size and that I assumed to be it's mate and also saw a couple of what looked like egg sacks in the water. The pictures aren't that great, but has anyone ever seen one of these large salamanders? Can anyone identify it? Oncorhynchus? I looked up on the internet but all I could find was a giant pacific salamander..... __________________ What's your angle? Last edited by Dichrofisher : 07-30-2007 at 09:00 PM.

07-31-2007, 08:23 PM	#2
Hanapaa Angler Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 123	That's crazy. I studied Cope's Giant Salamander, the Washington version of the Pacific Giant Salamander, my first time through college. It looks very similar to it, but you're right, 10+ inches is HUGE. I heard that they can get up to 14", but had never seen one past 8.These are cool, as they live in water, but usually eat on land. You probably made a good decision in leaving it alone. These things can bite, and it can do some damage. These things will eat whatever it can kill, even small rodents. __________________ ~Geoff~ The seemingly eternal student

08-01-2007, 09:41 AM	#4
Hanapaa Angler Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 123	Well, us fisherman should be safe as they eat on land and at night. They spend the day in the water to stay cool and protected from predators. But it is always better to play it safe. __________________ ~Geoff~ The seemingly eternal student

08-01-2007, 01:18 PM	#5
Oncorhynchus Angler Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Forest grove 0R Posts: 185	Ok it looks to be a larval pacific gient salamander dicomptadon tenabrok proboly spelled the sci name wrong. due to the pic its hard to tell but with thows big gills that overlap the arms im almost sertain its a Pacifc gient Ok Hanapaa if it was a copes it would still be a larva so it would never go on land meaning it would eat in the water. Copes rarely transform into full adalts but when they do they eat on land. And the adalts are almost never over 8inchs. You are right about the rodent eating thow. On the other hand Pacifc gients transform in to adalts most of the time and live permanetly above the surface. They can grow to 12inchs long and do bite but it doesnt really hurt ive been bit many a times. heres a pic of 2 my herping buddy and me caught its not my pic its his the one on the bottom is all messed up from fighting with another male proboly over a female. one hideing out during the day. A female about to lay eggs The pics are not mine but i found or helped find the animals in them. __________________ Powerbait is lame

08-01-2007, 05:15 PM	#6
Hanapaa Angler Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 123	Cool. Yeah, I didn't think it was a Cope's, especially because Cope's are mainly in the Olympic area of WA and are quite smaller. Salamanders are cool (anything that can go from aquatic to terrestrial whenever it pleases is cool to me). __________________ ~Geoff~ The seemingly eternal student

08-01-2007, 06:58 PM	#7
Dichrofisher Sustained Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Yewgene Posts: 276	The pictures that Onchorhynchus put up and the pictures I have seen on the internet of the Giant Pacific Salamanders all have variegated patterns on most of their bodies and at least their heads. The ones I saw were just dark brownish grey. And the heads on these things were so broad, flat, lots of crushing power! The eyes are almost pointing forward as well. The crazy thing was I was watching Lord of the Rings on saturday, and then on sunday I was up there prospecting when I ran into that Crniverous Newt it reminded me of what was "stirred up in the dark" when the dwarves mined too deep into the mountain! __________________ What's your angle?

08-01-2007, 08:48 PM	#8
Osprey Sustained Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Albany Posts: 289	I've seen those newt's a couple times in my life. But there's another type I've seen in an area up by Alsea Falls while deer hunting that were just scary. I was walking through an area that has ferns that are about 6 foot tall and very thick with deer trails everywhere when I ran accross a lot of these really creapy salamanders. They're shinny black with bright yellow spots. And, when you get to close they puff up and hiss at you. Very nasty buggers! They too were about 8 to 10 inches long. This spot is on a hill side under old growth and is pretty wet, but there's only a small creek that goes through the area. It gives me the willies every time I go up there and run into these little beasts.Here's a pic I found online. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Ron _____________________________________________ Fishin's My Thing!But racing comes in a close second!!! Last edited by Osprey : 08-01-2007 at 08:57 PM.

08-01-2007, 09:23 PM	#9
Oncorhynchus Angler Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Forest grove 0R Posts: 185	The pics i posted were of a adalt trust me it was a pacific gient. You found a larval one. __________________ Powerbait is lame

08-02-2007, 12:19 PM	#10
Dichrofisher Sustained Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Yewgene Posts: 276	Cool! Thanks for the replies......The reason I found one was due in large part to mining activity. I feel bad for digging into the bank of the creek sometimes, but it is also apparent that the place where they were breeding was created by the same activity. I will definetely be more cautious when reaching my hand into the undercuts and beneath the moss next time I go prospecting. __________________ What's your angle?

Username
Password
Remember Me?