Cope's Giant Salamander
Encyclopedia
Cope's Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon copei) is a species of salamander
in the Dicamptodontidae family. It reaches between 12.4–19.1 cm (4⅞ – 7½ in). The salamander resembles Pacific Giant Salamander
larva
e, but it never transforms to a terrestrial stage. It is smaller overall with a narrower head and shorter limbs. It is brown above with patches of yellowish-tan covering clusters of white skin glands, its belly is dark bluish-gray. The salamander has 12–13 inconspicuous costal groove
s. There are three closely related species to this taxon: D. ensatus, (California Giant Salamander
), D. aterrimus (Idaho Giant Salamander
) and D. tenebrosus (Coastal Giant Salamander
).
treatments.
. It is found on the Olympic Peninsula
, Washington. Its natural habitat
is temperate forest
s, river
s, freshwater lakes, and freshwater marsh
es. It is threatened by habitat loss and human population expansion.
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
in the Dicamptodontidae family. It reaches between 12.4–19.1 cm (4⅞ – 7½ in). The salamander resembles Pacific Giant Salamander
Pacific giant salamander
Pacific giant salamanders are a family of large salamanders.The family includes only a single genus, Dicamptodon. The genus was formerly thought to contain two species, Cope's Giant Salamander on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, and the Pacific giant salamander Pacific giant salamanders...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, but it never transforms to a terrestrial stage. It is smaller overall with a narrower head and shorter limbs. It is brown above with patches of yellowish-tan covering clusters of white skin glands, its belly is dark bluish-gray. The salamander has 12–13 inconspicuous costal groove
Costal groove
The Costal groove is a groove between the ridge of the internal surface of the rib and the inferior border. It contains the intercostal vessels and intercostal nerve....
s. There are three closely related species to this taxon: D. ensatus, (California Giant Salamander
California Giant Salamander
The California Giant Salamander is a species of salamander in the Dicamptodontidae family.It is endemic to the United States. The species name once additionally included individuals now belonging to the species D. aterrimus and D...
), D. aterrimus (Idaho Giant Salamander
Idaho Giant Salamander
The Idaho Giant Salamander, Dicamptodon aterrimus, is a species of salamander. There are three closely related species to this taxon: D. ensatus, , D. copei and D...
) and D. tenebrosus (Coastal Giant Salamander
Coastal Giant Salamander
The Coastal Giant Salamander is a species of salamander in the Dicamptodontidae family . It is endemic to the United States and Canada. There are three closely related species to this taxon: D. ensatus , D. copei , and D...
).
Behavior
The Cope's Giant Salamanders habits in the wild are largely unknown. They generally do not metamorphose into adults. Rather they mature sexually in the larval stage, known as paedomorphosis. However, approximately 66 adults have been found in the wild and mature larvae in the lab have been transformed via thyroidThyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
treatments.
Habitat and range
D. copei is endemic to the Pacific Northwestern portion of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is found on the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
, Washington. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is temperate forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, freshwater lakes, and freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es. It is threatened by habitat loss and human population expansion.
Sources
- G. Hammerson. 2004. Dicamptodon copei. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 July 2007.
- C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Pacific Giant Salamander: Dicamptodon ensatus, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
- John L. Behler and F. Wayne King. 1979. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians