Elric glimpsed the glow of rats' eyes and the slither of a large salamander.
Cryptobranchids are large, fat salamanders, with folds of skin along their flanks.
Pacific giant salamanders (Dicamptodontidae) are a family of large salamanders.
It is a large yellow salamander with large dark spots running down its dorsal surface - thus the "Yellow-peppered" designation.
Being shy and sensitive, it shares breeding pools with larger spotted salamanders and marbled salamanders.
It may itself be eaten by small mammals, birds and snakes and perhaps by other larger salamanders in the genus Desmognathus.
As the thing grew, the youngster saw what it was; it looked like a large, black salamander, moving in the fire but unscathed by the heat.
It is one of the largest known salamanders, and would have approached the cryptobranchid Andrias in size.
The cave salamander is a relatively large lungless salamander, ranging in size from 10 to 20 cm in total body length.
These fairly large salamanders grow to 8.7 in (220 mm) in length.
