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Pacific Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon tenebrosus
The Pacific giant salamander is a massive, robust species from the Pacific Northwest, capable of eating small mammals. It requires a 200L semi-aquatic setup with cool, fast-moving water, land areas, and high humidity.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Ambystomatidae
Genus:Dicamptodon
Species:Dicamptodon tenebrosus
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Water Temperature
10 - 18 °C
pH Value
6.5 - 7.5
Environment
Freshwater / Semi-aquatic
Humidity
80 - 100 %
Day temperature
12 - 18 °C
Night temperature
10 - 12 °C
Ambient temperature
12 - 18 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the cool, humid coniferous forests, rocky canyons, and glacial mountain streams of the Pacific Northwest (from Northern California to British Columbia). The Pacific Giant Salamander is one of the largest terrestrial amphibians in North America, inhabiting damp logs, deep moss, and underground burrows near clean running water.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Adults possess a massive head, robust limbs, and a thick tail. The skin is smooth and glandular. The dorsal coloration features a complex marble pattern of copper, bronze, or tan markings against a dark brown or black background. Unlike most salamanders, they have small teeth and a strong bite.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily nocturnal and secretive, spending daylight hours buried in leaf litter, under logs, or inside burrows. At night, they emerge as formidable predators, using a suction-feeding mechanism to consume a wide range of prey, including earthworms, slugs, insects, smaller amphibians, and occasionally small rodents.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is relatively subtle. During the breeding season, adult males can be distinguished by a swollen cloacal region and slightly broader limbs. Females are typically heavier when carrying eggs, presenting a stockier abdomen.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a very large, secure terrarium or paludarium (minimum 90-120 cm in length). The land area (60-70% of the enclosure) should feature a deep, moist substrate (organic soil mixed with leaf litter and live moss) and numerous large cork bark hides. The water section (30-40%) must provide cool, clean water with moderate current.
Lighting and Heating: Strictly cold-temperate species. Temperatures must be kept between 12-18°C. They are highly sensitive to heat; prolonged exposure to temperatures above 22-23°C is fatal. Use low-intensity LED lighting and a low-output UVB (2-5%) lamp, ensuring ample dark shelters are available.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high relative humidity (80-90%) with excellent ventilation to prevent stagnant air. The water must be treated to remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. Due to high bioload, a robust water filtration system and weekly water changes of 30% are required.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insatiable carnivores. Feed large earthworms, roaches, crickets, and occasionally pinky mice. Supplement food with high-quality calcium and multivitamin powders containing D3 once a week for adults to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Compatibility: Highly territorial and solitary. Due to their voracious appetite and aggressive nature, they will attack and consume tank mates, including members of their own species. Keep individuals housed singly in dedicated enclosures.
Health and Common Diseases: Extremely sensitive to chemical exposure and heat stress. Never handle with bare hands; human skin oils, soap residues, and body heat can damage their skin and trigger osmotic stress. They are susceptible to ammonia poisoning from waste accumulation and bacterial/fungal skin infections.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the cool, humid coniferous forests, rocky canyons, and glacial mountain streams of the Pacific Northwest (from Northern California to British Columbia). The Pacific Giant Salamander is one of the largest terrestrial amphibians in North America, inhabiting damp logs, deep moss, and underground burrows near clean running water.
Origin
Tropical oceans and reefsNorth America
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 34 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 34 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 34 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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