How to identify it
Large, stocky, marbled gold and brown salamander with a rounded, wide wedge-shaped head, fleshy legs and a laterally compressed tail (WDFW; BC). [1][2][3]
Largest terrestrial salamander in North America: to about 6.7 in snout-vent and 13.4 in total length; marbling may persist only on the head of very old animals (WDFW). [1][2][3]
12-13 costal grooves, indistinct; underside white to light gray, unmarked (WDFW). [1][2][3]
Larvae are stream-type: short gills, low tail fin ending near the hind limbs, hard black digit tips (WDFW). [1][2][3]
Compared with the cope's giant salamander: Pacific giant is larger with a wider head and longer legs; when legs are pressed against the body the toes touch or cross (WDFW). [1][2][3]
Compared with the torrent salamanders (rhyacotriton): Stream larvae have orange undersides and tiny gills barely visible out of water (WDFW). [1][2][3]
Where it lives
Small to medium mountain streams in moist coniferous forest; larvae in clear, cold, well-oxygenated streams under stones; transformed adults in humid forest under rocks and logs near streams (WDFW; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
How it behaves
Larvae are active on the streambed at night and under cover by day (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Adults eat terrestrial invertebrates, small snakes, shrews, mice and other salamanders; larvae eat aquatic invertebrates and some small vertebrates (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Migrates between aquatic breeding and terrestrial non-breeding habitat; larvae usually metamorphose in 18-24 months, some become sexually mature as larvae (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Female attends eggs laid in water-filled chambers under rocks or logs in or beside streams (NatureServe; BC). [1][2][3]
Limited legal take
Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.
Where legal take is listed
- California — amphibian take · 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations (updated July 10, 2026), 14 CCR 5.05/5.60
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Extreme southwestern British Columbia (Chilliwack River drainage) south through western Washington and Oregon to northwestern California (NatureServe).
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Government of British Columbia · reviewed 2026-09-30
Government of British Columbia