The torrent salamanders or Cascade salamanders are a family of salamanders (Rhyacotritonidae) with only one genus, Rhyacotriton. The torrent salamanders are endemic to the United States in the Pacific Northwest.
The northwestern salamander 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 Alabama waterdog is a medium-sized perennibranch salamander inhabiting rivers and streams of Alabama. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Western Cascades or Old Cascades are a sub-province of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon, between the Willamette Valley and the High Cascades. The Western Cascades contain many extinct shield volcanoes, cinder cones and lava flows, and the region is highly eroded and heavily forested. Deposits of the same age as the Western Cascades are also found in southwest Washington state.
The amber salamander, amber-colored salamander, tortoiseshell salamander, or Stejneger's oriental salamander is a species of salamander in the family Hynobiidae, endemic to Japan. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The clouded salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Pacific Northwest. Its natural habitat is temperate forests and it is probable that many nest in trees. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The speckledblack salamander, previously known as just the black salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the U.S. state of California. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Oregon slender salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae from the Northwestern United States.
The Cumberland dusky salamander is a species of salamander in the family of lungless salamanders, Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers. This species is threatened by habitat loss.
The Junaluska salamander is a species of lungless salamander native to the south-eastern United States. It was first described by David M. Sever, Harold M. Dundee, and Charles D. Sullivan who found the species in the range from the Cheoah River, Santeetlah Creek, and Tululah Creek in Graham County of North Carolina. Adults of this species can be found near large, rocky streams and on rainy nights on roads in the areas specified. The salamander is characterized by brownish-yellow coloration with a series of small dots along the body and a robust build compared to the other salamanders in Eurycea. The Junaluska salamander's breeding habits tend to be in large streams where the eggs are laid and attached to the bottom of rocks in the streams where they are found. According to the overall conservation listing for IUCN, this species is listed as Vulnerable. Conservation acts are important in both North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, since the population of this species in each state is so small.
The western red-backed salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. The species is found in extreme southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. The western red-backed salamander is found in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. It is considered widespread in the region and is not strictly associated with a specific habitat type.
The California giant salamander is a species of salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. Dicamptodon ensatus is endemic to California, in the western United States. The species once additionally included individuals now belonging to the species D. aterrimus and D. tenebrosus, under the common name Pacific giant salamander, which now refers to the genus and family.
The Columbia torrent salamander is a species of salamander in the family Rhyacotritonidae, endemic to the Pacific Northwest in the United States. It is found in the coastal areas of Washington to northwestern Oregon.
The Olympic torrent salamander is a species of salamander in the family Rhyacotritonidae. This is a small salamander that lives in clear, cold, mountain streams. It is medium to dark brown and may have a few small light spots on the sides and small dark spots on the tail; it is bright yellow on the belly, usually with some dark spots. Torrent salamanders typically have short snouts and relatively large eyes. As in other torrent salamanders, adult males have square-edged lobes behind the cloaca. These salamanders live at the edges of clear, cold, mountain streams; they can be abundant under gravel at stream edges and in the spray zones of waterfalls. During rainy seasons, they are occasionally found under objects on land away from streams.
The southern torrent salamander is a member of the salamander family Rhyacotritonidae. This species of torrent salamander is found the farthest south in the region. It is a small salamander endemic to the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Northern Oregon. It is one of four species of Rhyacotriton, along with R. cascadae, R. kezeri and R. olympicus. All species of Rhyacotriton are small, with their body lengths being less than 5 inches. The species reproduces annually, with an extended courtship and egg-laying period. The time it takes from oviposition to reach sexual maturity ranges from five to eight years, making the generation interval rather long. The larval stage, from hatching to metamorphosis, lasts 2.0-2.5 yr, with females requiring another 1.5–2.0 yr until they can first breed. They reach sexual maturity 1.0-1.5 yr after metamorphosis which occurs between 4.5 and 5.0 yr. This species feeds on small insects and spiders. Although it is found over a large area, it is not a migratory creature. It is preyed on by Pacific giant salamanders and garter snakes.
There are 14 species of amphibians and 5 species of reptiles known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park.
