Ambystoma gracile
Silhouette: Matt Reinbold (modified by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) is a species of mole salamander that inhabits the northwest Pacific coast of North America. These fairly large salamanders grow to 8.7 in (220 mm) in length. It is found from southeastern Alaska on May Island, through Washington and Oregon south to the mouth of the Gualala River, Sonoma County, California. It occurs from sea level to the timberline, but not east of the Cascade Divide. Its range includes Vancouver Island in British Columbia and The San Juan Islands, Cypress, Whidbey, Bainbridge, and Vashon Islands in Washington.
The egg mass is very firm, it feels much like a brain with a jelly layer around the entire mass. The individual eggs are 2 mm diameter with the entire egg mass the size of your fist. The egg masses are laid in water about 0.5–2 meters below the surface.
The hatchlings are 1–35 mm long with feathery gills on the side of the body. The juveniles are 16–105 mm long from their snout to vent. Adults are 40–107 mm long from their snout to vent. The spotted forms occur in the northern portion of its range. A dividing line of 51°N latitude has been recognized between the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Aquarium | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northwestern Salamander sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 190 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 4th most-seen of the 11 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northwestern Salamander in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northwestern Salamander sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Northwestern Salamander sightings, Vancouver ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Seattle (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northwestern Salamander is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Vancouver (190 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
