Trinity Alps giant salamander
Encyclopedia
The Trinity Alps giant salamander is an alleged giant salamander
that is reported to live in the Trinity Alps
of northern California
. It is often considered a cryptid
, as no specimen
has ever been recovered and it is not a recognized species. Although the salamander is larger than most salamander species inside the United States, it is comparable in size to the hellbender
. It was first reported in the 19th century and has not been reported frequently since the early 20th century.
Tom Slick
led an expedition to search for the creatures, but it was not successful. An elderly man interviewed during the expedition claimed to have seen several salamanders the size of alligators on the lake shore in his youth.
A member of the giant salamander family (Cryptobranchidae), known as the hellbender is found in the eastern United States, and in fact the cryptobranchid family may have had its origins in North America.
Giant salamander
The hellbender and Asian giant salamanders are aquatic amphibians found in brooks and ponds in the United States, China, and Japan. They are the largest living amphibians known today...
that is reported to live in the Trinity Alps
Trinity Alps
The Trinity Alps are mountains in Northern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, located to the northwest of Redding. Elevations there range from to at Thompson Peak. The Trinity Alps Wilderness covers , making it the second largest wilderness area in California...
of northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is often considered a cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
, as no specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
has ever been recovered and it is not a recognized species. Although the salamander is larger than most salamander species inside the United States, it is comparable in size to the hellbender
Hellbender
The hellbender , also known as the hellbender salamander, is a species of giant salamander that is endemic to eastern North America...
. It was first reported in the 19th century and has not been reported frequently since the early 20th century.
Tom Slick
Tom Slick
Thomas Baker "Tom" Slick, Jr. was a San Antonio, Texas based inventor, businessman, adventurer, and heir to an oil business. Slick's father, Thomas Baker Slick, Sr., a.k.a. "The King of the Wildcatters", had made a fortune during the Texas oil boom of the 1920s.-Career:During the 1950s, Slick was...
led an expedition to search for the creatures, but it was not successful. An elderly man interviewed during the expedition claimed to have seen several salamanders the size of alligators on the lake shore in his youth.
A member of the giant salamander family (Cryptobranchidae), known as the hellbender is found in the eastern United States, and in fact the cryptobranchid family may have had its origins in North America.
External links
- JSTOR copy of Cryptobranchid Salamanders from the Paleocene and Miocene of Saskatchewan. An abstract and the first page are available. The balance of the work is only available to participating libraries.
- DarkSites.Com page on Trinity Alps giant salamander