The Trinty Alps Giant Salamander (T.A.G.S) is a species of giant salamander said to live in the Trinity Alps of California. These salamanders have been found in mountain lakes, streams and even the Sacramento River. They have been reported being on average 5 to 6 feet long but have been said to reach 10 feet in length. The largest documented species of salamander is the Giant Chianese salamander, which can reach a length of 6 feet so the T.A.G.S reported size may not be that farfetched. These cold-water behemoths even with their size have a peaceful nature but will feed on anything that will fit in there month like crayfish, fish, birds, small mammals and even each other! These animals have had plenty of encounters with fishermen, scientist and even monster hunters.
Sightings
- 1920’s, Frank L. Griffith Had an amazing sighting of 5 giant salamanders swimming in the New River in the Trinity Alps drainage. These animals where between 5 to 9 feet long, and where swimming together moving upriver. Some of our theory for this sighting is these animals where probably going to a breeding sight or doing a mating ritual where males and females do a kind of game of tag to pick mates.
- 1939 Thomas L. Rodgers got the chances to study a specimen caught out of the Sacramento River. This animal was caught by fishermen and was about 25 inches long, Thomas opinion was it was a Giant Japanese salamander that was released there. Problems with this theory are haw hard these sensitive animals are to transport and keeps cool especially in the 1930’s.
- Throughout the 1940’s Vern Harden had claimed to have seen several Giant Salamanders thru the years in the remote lake known as Hubbard Lake. The largest of the animals he claimed to see was 10 feet in length.
- Several fishermen thru the years have claimed to have caught one of these slime devils, gotten it in to the boat and could not maintain control over the animals so they released them.
There have been serval expeditions looking for these animals, but all have come up empty. Even the famous Monster Hunter Tom Slick tried his hand at catching one and he came up short as well.
These animals are most likely a real species of giant salamanders that are facing the problems that the rest of the giant salamanders are facing, extinction. Thes are a cryptid the are in need of our help and endangers species protection.
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