What did I find?

[mindy]

Unfortunately, I was on vacation so I couldn't buy the pair. But I found the most interesting couple of salamanders I have ever seen! The pet shop guy wasn't very knowledgable (he was trying to sell me a "fire belly newt" that was really a Pachytriton L. for 50 dollars) But he also had what seemed to be the largest specimin of Tiger salamanders that I have ever seen! Well, I only think that they were tigers, I'd love to know what they were for sure. They were the color of tigers but the size of rats! They had to be about a foot and a half long with heads the size of the palm of my hand. They were like prehistoric monsters, was this some sort of overlarged subspecies? I must try to obtain a pair.

 

[jeff]

Perhaps it was a Dicamptodon species. These guys are known for having massive heads.

 

[mindy]

I looked at every picture of a Dicamptodon that I could find and I didn't see a match. The sally I saw had a very large round head with very tiny eyes. I mean, unusually small beady eyes, I hope this helps...

 

[benjamin]

Were they terrestrial or aquatic?

 

[mindy]

They were nestled pretty comfortably on land...I knew I should have bought them when I had a chance.

 

[jeff]

Where was this at?

 

[mindy]

In a Pet Store in Somerset, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the guy there wasn't very knowledgable. The conversation started out like this...
"Do you have any newts or salamanders?"
"I don't have any newts, but I do have the water-type of salamander"...then preceded to try to sell me a pachytriton L. for 50 bucks, lol. Either way, I doubt they were locally collected. Though with my luck it would be an undisovered species, lol.