A National Park Service scientist has photographed a group of newly hatched California giant salamanders in the wild for the first time. Michael Reichmuth, a fisheries biologist, snapped a photo of the salamander larvae last September, according to an article published by the Park Service. Reichmuth spotted the salamanders while snorkeling in Olema Creek, a stream running through Point Reyes National Seashore.
Typically, Reichmuth snorkels around the Bay Area’s public lands, surveying juvenile coho salmon. But while face down in a pool of water, something else caught his eye: a cluster of gray and red amphibians sat under a rock. They had beady black eyes and swollen white bellies.
Although adult California giant salamanders, or Dicamptodon ensatus, can grow up to a foot long, the species is elusive. To capture other amphibians, scientists often place boards on the ground that provide a moist, attractive shelter. California giant salamanders almost never show up in these traps.
Patrick Kleeman, an amphibian expert with the U.S. Geological Survey, confirmed the species in an interview with the Park Service. “The location in a small stream known to harbor a population of California giant salamanders makes it the most likely species,” he said…