Second topic, feel free to merge - Dicamptodon photos

[knifegill]

If you feel like ID'ing, please guess or tell, thanks!

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x323/Knifegill/102_0805_zpsfrtflozm.jpg

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x323/Knifegill/102_0804_zpsxiopzthi.jpg

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x323/Knifegill/102_0803_zps03vu73co.jpg

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x323/Knifegill/102_0801_zpslue2i12n.jpg

Some dicamptodon, I am told, he's over a year old, I've lost track.

 

[sde]

Well, considering legality of collection i would have to guess D. tenebrosus as D. copei is illegal to collect throughout its range, and D. ensatus is illegal to collect throughout its range, and i believe D. aterrimus is illegal to collect throughout its range as well though i am not totally sure.
If legality isn't a factor i am not sure, without collection place it is hard to know which species it could be as morphological differences seem to be minimal.
The gill filaments, where the tail fin starts, and larger legs seem uncharacteristic of copei, so i will rule it out. Other than that, i have no idea. My best guess would be tenebrosus, but it could be something else.
Pictures of the whole animal from the top and side would help in differentiation between copei and other species, if you want to take some more pictures.

No matter what it is, its a very nice looking animal

 

[otolith]

My guess would be D. tenebrosus from a neotenic population in OR or WA. Most other Dicampotodon species have had some level of protection for awhile, unfortunately that doesn't really guarantee anything.

 

[knifegill]

In seeking more specific care information, I realize I DO need a solid ID on the guy. I was thinking Cope's but the head is wrong per a PDF I found comparing it to the Pacific Giant. I hope to add more photos soon, some top down and every angle I can get.

 

[FrogEyes]

I haven't looked at the photos, but would add this correction: Dicamptodon aterrimus is legal to collect in Idaho and Montana. Montana no longer allows commercial collection, but personal is okay for most species. Idaho requires a non-game permit or scientific permit, and an Idaho export permit. They're fairly widespread in Idaho. Their range in Montana is probably more extensive, but very few spots are known so far, and all very close to Idaho populations. Off the top of my head, I don't know the OR or WA status at the moment, but everything is "protected" in WA anyway.

Because of the overlapping ranges, it's possible to accidentally collect D.copei when trying to collect D.tenebrosus, and terrestrial adults of the former are more common in some places than previously thought. There are some interesting oddball populations along the eastern edges of the OR Cascades, with varying degress of isolation and adaptation to the harsher local climates.

 

[curtpw]

FYI in terms of collection legality in OR and probably a lot of other places, fishing rights are protected on reservation land by treaty in some of OR. Although some federal laws (like Endangered Species Act) certainly apply to reservation land, state laws concerning hunting and fishing most definitely do not. Some reservations in OR offer both annual and day fishing permits. I don't know of any reservations with specific restrictions on salamander collection, though I am no expert.