paedomorphic adult (neotenic sexually-mature adult retaining aquatic larval-form gilled body) eating a terrestrial adult (sometimes the aquatic adults can be larger than typical land-dwelling terrestrial adults. some populations of barred/western tiger salamander, especially at high elevations in Rocky Mountains, more frequently select for neotenic aquatic adults, which can inhabit cirques and alpine lakes and avoid cold winter surface temperatures by remaining active and retreating to relatively consistent milder water temperatures in these lakes without freezing, so it suits them better to just remain fully aquatic their entire life. they don’t fully transform into the more recognizable land-dwelling version yet they are fully capable of reproduction despite appearing like a larva. for comparison, you can see a “normal”-sized larva at bottom left in this photo.)
