Northwestern Salamander
Ambystoma gracile
Silhouette: Matt Reinbold (modified by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderCaudata (Salamanders)
- FamilyAmbystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)
- GenusAmbystoma (Mole Salamanders)
- SpeciesAmbystoma gracile (Northwestern Salamander)
About the Northwestern Salamander
The northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) is a species of mole salamander that inhabits the northwest Pacific coast of North America. These fairly large salamanders grow to 8.7 in (220 mm) in length. It is found from southeastern Alaska on May Island, through Washington and Oregon south to the mouth of the Gualala River, Sonoma County, California. It occurs from sea level to the timberline, but not east of the Cascade Divide. Its range includes Vancouver Island in British Columbia and The San Juan Islands, Cypress, Whidbey, Bainbridge, and Vashon Islands in Washington.
The egg mass is very firm, it feels much like a brain with a jelly layer around the entire mass. The individual eggs are 2 mm diameter with the entire egg mass the size of your fist. The egg masses are laid in water about 0.5–2 meters below the surface.
The hatchlings are 1–35 mm long with feathery gills on the side of the body. The juveniles are 16–105 mm long from their snout to vent. Adults are 40–107 mm long from their snout to vent. The spotted forms occur in the northern portion of its range. A dividing line of 51°N latitude has been recognized between the... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northwestern Salamander in Olympic National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Olympic National Park
Long-toed Salamander
Ambystoma macrodactylum
Cope's Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon copei
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 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northwestern Salamander in Olympic National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northwestern Salamander sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northwestern Salamander in Olympic National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Northwestern Salamander in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.