Idaho giant salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Idaho giant salamander |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dicamptodon
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| Species: |
aterrimus
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The Idaho giant salamander, also known by its scientific name Dicamptodon aterrimus, is a type of large salamander. It is closely related to three other species: the California giant salamander, Cope's giant salamander, and the coastal giant salamander (also called the Pacific giant salamander).
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What Does the Idaho Giant Salamander Look Like?
The Idaho giant salamander is usually the darkest of all the giant salamanders. It often has many blotches on its skin. Their colors can be brown, purple, tan, grey, or even a copper color.
These salamanders have a thick head and body. They also have a unique fourth toe on their back foot with only three parts. Adult Idaho giant salamanders are typically about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long. However, some can grow up to 33 centimeters (13 inches) long!
When they are young, called larvae, they have small external gills. These gills help them breathe in the small streams where they live. Larvae are usually tan with yellow blotches on their skin. Most larvae grow into adult salamanders. But some can stay in their larval form their whole lives, even reproducing as larvae. This is called paedomorphosis.
Where Do Idaho Giant Salamanders Live?
You can find these salamanders in forests near water. They live in Idaho, from Lake Coeur d'Alene down to the Salmon River. They are also found in two places in Montana, near Mineral County.
How Do Idaho Giant Salamanders Behave?
Young salamander larvae are hunters. They often wait quietly for their food to come close. Usually, they eat small invertebrates, which are animals without a backbone. They also eat some small vertebrates, like tadpoles, fish, and other salamanders.
Adult Idaho giant salamanders hunt on land. They eat land animals without backbones, like insects. They also eat vertebrates, such as shrews, mice, and small snakes. They will even eat other salamanders. Basically, they will eat anything they can catch!
How Do Idaho Giant Salamanders Defend Themselves?
Fish, weasels, water shrews, and garter snakes are some animals that hunt Idaho giant salamanders. To protect themselves, these salamanders have several strong defense methods.
They can release a toxic liquid from their skin. They also use warning postures to scare off predators. Sometimes, they even make a "barking" sound. If all else fails, they will bite. An Idaho giant salamander's bite can be strong enough to break human skin.
