Species from the Peruvian Jungle

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English  Name: Pacific Giant               Salamander
Scientific Name: 
Dicamptodon ensatus
Dicamptodon tenebrosus

Spanish Name: 
Salamandra
 

Size: 
It can be hrow to be 14 inches long

Life span: 

For more information see: 

Report written by Guillermo


Revised by:  Paula M.

Re-revised by: Patrick C.
     
Diet
It eats small rodents and and insects, worms, frogs, and even smaller snakes. In larval period they feed on the larvae of other salamanders.

Predators
Big snakes, weasels, minks, otters, large birds

Adaptations
It has a brownish color with black spots to camouflage with the floor.  It has a perfect size to eat its food and a perfect size to hide which they do during day and are active during night.
 

Interesting Facts

  • People have them as pets!  
  • Only a few can make a type of bark when they are scared.  
  • They go through several life stages from egg to newly hatched larva to mature larva to adult salamander. 
  • The giant pacific salamander is British Columbia's largest salamander having a length of 30 cm. (14 inches) from nose to tail tip.
  • The giant pacific salamander belongs to the Ambystomatidae or Mole Salamander Family
  • The mating usually occurs in spring and fowards, the eggs are also laid in spring
  • After 6 months the eggs hatch depending on the temperature.
  • They live in coniferous frests and their eggs are deposited in cold streams. 
  • The larval period is long, it take from 2 to 5 years and parenting is shown in the form of egg attendance. 
  • the larvae live in springs and streams living beneath rocks. The adults live beneath logs, bark or stones in the forst and leave for the night after strong rains. 
  • The Giant Pacific Salamander is a member of the advanced salamanders, the Salamandroidea, that includes all internal-fertilization salamanders.
  • The Decamptodon ensatus is the only species that has the ability to vocalize, it emmits low-pitched barks when disturbed.
  • Gaint Pacific Salamanders do not breed until six years of age.

 Bibliography: 
  http://www.animalsoftherainforest.com/frames1.htm

http://www.naturepark.com/pgsala.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/amphibians/Salamanderprintou.shtml

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/dicamptodon/d._ensatus$narrative.thml

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dicamptodontidae.html

 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/james_harding/pcd3912_087.jpg/view.html