Wow that is one big Salamander! I've only seen very small ones before. They're very elusive to say the least. I'm surprised you were able to hold it like that. I've never tried catching or picking one up before.

The area I live in is home to a type of salamander called a Hellbender. I have never seen one up close and I've only seen pictures of them but they can grow to 2 feet long. They live in the Smoky Mountains in TN, NC, VA and some other eastern states.