The Pacific Giant Salamander is a larger salamander that lives in North America and the Pacific Northwest.
What Does the Pacific Giant Salamander Look Like?
The Pacific Giant Salamander is larger than a lot of other salamanders and can grow up to 12 inches long. They are similar to the mole salamander and they were at one point considered part of the mole family.
The Pacific Giant Salamander is long with bodies that are large and flat. They have wide heads and their eyes bulge on the sides. Their tail is long and flat.
This salamander is usually brown or black with dark brown or black spots on it.
Where Does the Pacific Giant Salamander Live?
The Pacific Giant Salamander lives in areas that have rocks and logs and are usually found close to water because they live in water 2-5 years of their life.
Since they live in water for a lot of their lives, they have gills that are on the outside and four pairs of gill slits that help them to breath in the water.
Laying Eggs
The female Pacific Giant Salamander will only lay one egg in its life. She will lay the egg in a stream or in some kind of water and will stay with the eggs until they hatch and then she will leave the water area. The baby salamander will remain at the water for the first 2-5 years of its life.
Most Amazing Thing About the Pacific Giant Salamander
The Pacific Giant Salamander is one of the only salamanders that is able to use its voice. It makes a sound that sounds similar to a dog that is barking. The Pacific Giant will make this sound if it gets scared or feels that it is in danger.
What Does the Pacific Giant Salamander Eat?
The Pacific Giant Salamander will eat mostly eggs or baby insects that live in the water. They also eat other animals that live in streams. When they get bigger, they will eat other insects and small fish because they become so large.
Where Do Pacific Giant Salamanders Live?
Most Pacific Giant Salamanders will try to find places to live in areas that are moist or in a forest. They like to live in places that are under logs or in tree bark so that they can be protected. Most of them do not live in the open and are good at hiding.
Facts About the Pacific Giant Salamander:
- Pacific Giant Salamanders go through metamorphosis which means their body will change before they become adults.
- There are only four species of the Pacific Giant Salamanders including: Idaho Giant, Cope’s Giant, California Giant and Coastal Giant.
- Pacific Giant Salamanders have strong jaws and their teeth are small but very sharp.
- Some Pacific Giant Salamanders are found in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon while others are found in the coastal mountains of British Columbia.
- Pacific Giant Salamanders use their tongues to catch their food.
- Pacific Giant Salamanders are good climbers and can climb up to 7 foot tall.
What Did You Learn?
- What is the Pacific Giant Salamander? The Pacific Giant Salamander is a large salamander that is found in different parts of the world such as in North American and in Canada.
- What does the Pacific Giant Salamander look like? The Pacific Giant Salamander gets to be around 12 inches long and has a flat tail, large eyes, and most of them are brown or dark brown with black or dark brown spots.
- What does the Pacific Giant Salamander eat? The Pacific Giant Salamander eats insects, reptiles, small fish, baby salamanders, mice, snakes and other things because of their strong jaws.
- What is special about the Pacific Giant Salamander? What is special about this salamander is it is one of the few salamanders that uses its voice like a barking sound when it gets scared or feels threatened.
- Can Pacific Giant Salamanders climb? Pacific Giant Salamanders are good climbers and can climb almost 7 foot up in a tree.