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Spacial Ecology, Behavior, And Habitat Use Of Terrestrial Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon Tenebrosus) In The Central Washington Cascades, Brandon Fessler

Master of Biology Theses

I used radio-telemetry and remote camera monitoring ot investigate the terrestrial ecology Coastal Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus). I tracked twelve salamanders an average of 319 days (range: 85-470) between June 2010 and September 2011. The majority of movements between tracking sessions were <20 m(85%, n= 209). The maximum movement distance observed was 271 m over three days. Camera monitoring showed D. tenebrosus move nocturnally, typically between 1900h and 0500h. Upland habitat use was common for D. tenebrosus, although all animals remained within 50 mof streams or seeps. Salamanders exhibited both range and refuge site fidelity; animals returned to previously occupied locations with wide variation ni the time (range: 6-381 days) and total distance traveled (range: 3-259 m) since last occupation. Salamanders were visible (both day and night) during 33.8% of radio-telemetry and 56.5% of camera monitoring sessions, typically seen facing out of refuge entrances.