Of Oregon’s native amphibians, the largest, and perhaps one of the most bizarre, is the Pacific giant salamander. Reaching 13 inches in length, these semi-aquatic creatures are brown and have external gills as juveniles, and are mottled brown and black as adults. Their ideal habitat is made up of the clear, icy mountain streams of the Washington and Oregon Cascades and the coastal ranges of Oregon and California. Pacific giant salamanders start their life entirely aquatic, with gills that allow them to breathe under water. Most of their time as adults is spent undercover beneath logs, bark, or stones, either in the streambed or on land, though they will roam about freely after heavy rains. Pacific giant salamanders feed mostly on small aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates such as smaller salamanders or fish hatchlings.

Rough-skinned newts are large salamanders reaching total lengths up to 8 inches. They are characterized by warty skin that is not slimy, and are light brown to black above with a yellow to orange belly. They bear a close resemblance to California newt, but the teeth in the upper jaw form a V shape as opposed to a Y in the very California newt. An easier to see characteristic is the color of the lower eyelid, which in the rough-skinned newt is dark (light colored in the California newt). Rough-skinned newts also have smaller eyes. Rough-skinned newts are quite poisonous, as are all newts of the genus Torosa, so it is not advised to handle these salamanders. If you do, wash your hands before touching your eyes or anything that you might put in your mouth. They are found in a variety of habitats from sea level to 9,000 feet.