Scientific Name – Dicamptodon aterrimus

Classification – Dicamptodontidae

Baby Name – Efts

Collective Noun – Congress, band or maelstrom

Average Length – Around 20 cm

Average Weight – Up to 2. 5 oz

Top Speed – Can move quickly

Life Expectancy – 6-10 yrs

Breeding Season – Spring and fall

Incubation Period – Around 9 months

Special Features – Large and robust; possess thick head and body; presence of a fourth toe on the hind foot with only three segments; presence of costal grooves and foot tubercles; some members may undergo paedomorphosis

Family Unit – Generally solitary creatures

Geographical Distribution – United States

World Population – Unknown; but considered to be stable

Conservation Status – Least Concern

Natural Habitat – Under rocks and logs in humid forests, moist coniferous forests, near mountain streams, rocky shores of mountain lakes

Diet – Terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates such as shrews, mice, small snakes, other salamanders

Predators – Fish, water shrews, weasels, garter snakes