Cope's Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon copei
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey, from a photograph by Greg Schechter · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderCaudata (Salamanders)
- FamilyAmbystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)
- GenusDicamptodon (Pacific Giant Salamanders)
- SpeciesDicamptodon copei (Cope's Giant Salamander)
About the Cope's Giant Salamander
Cope's giant salamander (Dicamptodon copei) is a species of salamander in the family Dicamptodontidae, the Pacific giant salamanders. It is native to Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
This species can attain lengths up to 19.5 centimeters. It exhibits neoteny rarely undergoing metamorphosis to the adult form, and resembles the larvae of similar salamander species. It usually becomes sexually, but not physically, mature. It is gold and brown in color. The costal grooves are inconspicuous. It has a rounded snout and the laterally compressed, fin-like tail of a typical larva. It retains its gills.
Little is known about the species' habitat requirements, but it has been found in mountain pools and streams. It feeds on smaller animals, such as fish, amphibians and their eggs, including the larvae of its own species.
The female lays a clutch of around 50 and up to 115 eggs in wet habitat near water bodies. She guards them and possibly defends them aggressively. The range of this species extends from the Olympic Peninsula to northern Oregon. Its populations are likely stable to slightly declining... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Cope's Giant Salamander in Olympic National Park
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Northwestern Salamander
Ambystoma gracile
Long-toed Salamander
Ambystoma macrodactylum
Rough-skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
Western Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon vehiculum
Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
Olympic Salamander
Rhyacotriton olympicus
Wandering Salamander
Aneides vagrans
Van Dyke's Salamander
Plethodon vandykei
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cope's Giant Salamander in Olympic National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cope's Giant Salamander sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cope's Giant Salamander in Olympic National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Cope's Giant Salamander in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.