#dicamptodon

California Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon ensatus), NEOTENIC, family Ambystomatidae, CA, USA

Neotenic (or Paedomorphic) salamanders retain larval traits into adulthood, such as gills, and stay in the water as adults.

fFucking creatures post

fun fact theres no picture here of the American Dipper (bird) but the last picture is of its nest- dippers are so sick they can like jump into fast-moving streams and angle their wings downward to use the water pressure to hold them at the bottom while they walk along and look for aquatic arthropods

also any time they are standing around they kind of like... bounce??? like theyll sort of bend and unbend their knees and just do a little pop squat every couple seconds

This Coastal Giant salamander larva (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) may not be all that giant now, but give it a few years and it could grow to thirteen inches in length -- the largest terrestrial salamander in the world.

California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus), family Ambystomatidae, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus), family Ambystomatidae, Oregon, USA

This large salamander can reach a length of up to 34 cm (13 inches) total length.