wes_von_papineäu
Our Roving Correspondent
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VANCOUVER SUN (British Columbia) 26 April 08 Urban critters: Giant coastal salamander (Nicholas Read)
What it's called: The giant coastal salamander, or in Latin, Dicamptodon tenebrosus.
What it looks like: Remember, everything is relative, including the word "giant." In this case, it refers to a creature that, at its giant-est, is 35 centimetres long. But in the world of salamanders, that's a hippopotamus. Even by human standards, that's pretty big, given how squeamish we tend to be around animals that are, it must be said, a little on the slimy side. Ratcheting things up even more on the eek scale is the fact that about half this giant's length is its tail. And even though it's an amphibian, its markings are distinctly reptilian. Its skin is black or brown but mottled with gold, grey and copper in the way that snakes often are. Otherwise it has a blunt head, bug eyes, and four short legs, at the end of which are five finger-like digits.
Where to find it: Again because everything is relative, the fact that it's extremely difficult to see may be good or bad news, depending on your comfort level. It likes mountainous, forested regions, meaning this part of the world is ideal habitat, but it's usually nocturnal, coming out during the day only in heavy rain. Moreover it spends most of its time near freshwater streams buried under heaps of leaf litter, and is now considered endangered in B.C. So don't count on tripping over one any time soon.
What it eats: Earthworms, small snakes, mice, shrews and other smaller amphibians like frogs.
What eats it: Not much, though creatures like this always have to be careful of bigger, fiercer predators like hawks, bears and coyotes.
How it breeds: Little is known about how the giant coastal salamander breeds, but it's thought females somehow pick up an external sperm sac from males which they use to fertilize their eggs. They lay dozens at a time in places where they will be partly underwater. When they do hatch several months later, the resulting offspring can spend years as larvae.
The sound of salamanders?
Yes, you read that right. It's thought that when alarmed or injured, giant coastal salamanders may yelp like a dog.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0ed5f53a-94a0-4b77-a127-2ed7d1dac089
What it's called: The giant coastal salamander, or in Latin, Dicamptodon tenebrosus.
What it looks like: Remember, everything is relative, including the word "giant." In this case, it refers to a creature that, at its giant-est, is 35 centimetres long. But in the world of salamanders, that's a hippopotamus. Even by human standards, that's pretty big, given how squeamish we tend to be around animals that are, it must be said, a little on the slimy side. Ratcheting things up even more on the eek scale is the fact that about half this giant's length is its tail. And even though it's an amphibian, its markings are distinctly reptilian. Its skin is black or brown but mottled with gold, grey and copper in the way that snakes often are. Otherwise it has a blunt head, bug eyes, and four short legs, at the end of which are five finger-like digits.
Where to find it: Again because everything is relative, the fact that it's extremely difficult to see may be good or bad news, depending on your comfort level. It likes mountainous, forested regions, meaning this part of the world is ideal habitat, but it's usually nocturnal, coming out during the day only in heavy rain. Moreover it spends most of its time near freshwater streams buried under heaps of leaf litter, and is now considered endangered in B.C. So don't count on tripping over one any time soon.
What it eats: Earthworms, small snakes, mice, shrews and other smaller amphibians like frogs.
What eats it: Not much, though creatures like this always have to be careful of bigger, fiercer predators like hawks, bears and coyotes.
How it breeds: Little is known about how the giant coastal salamander breeds, but it's thought females somehow pick up an external sperm sac from males which they use to fertilize their eggs. They lay dozens at a time in places where they will be partly underwater. When they do hatch several months later, the resulting offspring can spend years as larvae.
The sound of salamanders?
Yes, you read that right. It's thought that when alarmed or injured, giant coastal salamanders may yelp like a dog.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0ed5f53a-94a0-4b77-a127-2ed7d1dac089