The Northwestern Salamander can be found around small bodies of water, where it goes to breed in the spring. The rest of the year is spent underground or in rotten logs. They belong to a family of Salamanders called the mole salamanders because of their habitat during most of the year. You are lucky to see one outside of mating season.
They are a large salamander that can reach up to 25 cm in length. There is a visible bulge behind its eyes that is called a parotid gland. This gland contains poison. When it feels threatened, it will arch its back while tilting its head down to squeeze a few drops of milky white poison from its gland. The poison becomes quite tacky on its skin and remains there for some time. This poison irritates the mouth of anything that tries to eat it.
Northwestern Salamanders mate in the spring, and early to late spring breeding depends on elevation and temperature. The males gather at breeding sites to await the arrival of the females. Courting involves the males rubbing the females’ heads with their chins, all while swimming around them. If the seduction is successful, the male will drop a sperm sac that the female picks up with her cloaca. She then attaches a large egg mass to aquatic vegetation below the water. This mass can contain as many as 270 eggs. The egg mass will turn a bright green before the eggs hatch. The eggs hatch within 8 weeks, depending on the conditions. They will remain aquatic for up to 2 years before leaving the water source to become terrestrial. Some will travel up to a km from their aquatic birthing source. Although some will remain aquatic for their entire lives.