Image of California Giant Salamander

Description:

In afternoon, larvae detected exposed in shallow bank water and when approached darted to leafy debris. Carefully running fingers through this leafy deposit caused larvae to reveal itself and drift to surface. In another cascading pool, additional larvae detected. Remarkably, one larvae was seen out of water on stone that broke the surface, and when approached it quickly dropped into pool and took refuge beneath stone. Where it was later revealed by slowly lifting its rock refuge. Later, small to moderate size larvae found by sitting at edge of pool and visually scanning rock niches.Larvae: Short, bushy gills and short dorsal tail fin. Dorsal mottled and pale eye stripe; below whitish.