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Northwestern salamander

Ambystoma gracile

Description:

Terrestrial amphibian with large dark eyes, brown skin and prominent ribs.

Habitat:

In the dark in dirt, in a potato garden. Also found hiding under wood. Temperate coastal rain forest. Reading about its presumed habitat needs, it seems relevant to add to this: the forest it was found in is a mixed woods, naturally occurring second growth nearing old growth. The Sitka spruce on it range up to 25 ft. in circumference. It was selectively logged for Douglas fir and Western hemlock about 50 years ago (maybe 50% cut); a hot forest fire came through in 1840, and perhaps again in the 1880's or so, killing the cedar and leaving them standing, providing spotted owl habitat (spotted owls have been heard there). The climax forest (after the ancient spruces die) there is Western red cedar, and they once grew there, but they are currently not. It is about 3 miles as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean, at an altitude of 500 feet.

Notes:

These salamanders aren't seen as often as the rough-skinned newt, as they don't wander above-ground as much. I will post a much older spotting of a salamander like this in a separate posting, and another posting of an entirely different spotting that MAY be a young form of this species.

1 Species ID Suggestions

Aaron_G
Aaron_G 12 years ago
Northwestern salamander
Ambystoma gracile Northwestern Salamander


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8 Comments

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

interesting Shebusynow!! I am glad i looked at this spotting of yours!

scottie.q.holtsclaw
scottie.q.holtsclaw 12 years ago

Whoa, i've never seen that kind of salamander here in oregon. very interesting.

shebebusynow
shebebusynow 13 years ago

I'm puzzled as well; looked over the list and didn't find it. Been finding them for years but so far no one's been able to tell me what it is. It's a spruce/Douglas fir/hemlock/alder forest. It does not make a sound or exude anything.

Gordon Dietzman
Gordon Dietzman 13 years ago

Well, I'm puzzled. Did you look at the other salamanders at the URL I posted above. I was in Oregon last year and had a lot of fun there, gorgeous forests, coastline, wonderful wildlife. Good luck with your ID search.

shebebusynow
shebebusynow 13 years ago

The morphology certainly is similar, but I've found many and only in this color, never with any patterning at all. I agree that it's probably Ambystoma genus. It is never seen in the open, always hiding in the dark and is very reluctant to move when disturbed. It does not live near open water necessarily; I find it hundreds of feet from the creek.

Gordon Dietzman
Gordon Dietzman 13 years ago

I'm going to take a guess. I'd suggest it is an immature long-toed salamander. The range is right and the immature don't have the back stripe of an adult. See http://pages.uoregon.edu/titus/herp/macr... and see what you think.

MartaKawaii
MartaKawaii 13 years ago

It really looks like a salamander ...can't help more :S

lindistar
lindistar 13 years ago

What an interesting creature! I hope someone can id it :)

shebebusynow
Spotted by
shebebusynow

Oregon, USA

Spotted on Mar 27, 2011
Submitted on Mar 27, 2011

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