Idaho Rejects Salamander as State Amphibian

“Idaho lawmakers worried that special recognition of the Idaho giant salamander could lead to federal protections have rejected a grade school student’s request that it be named the state amphibian,” the Idaho Statesman reports.

Rep. Ken Andrus (R) voted against the measure after recalling being repulsed by them as a young boy: “They were ugly, they were slimy, and they were creepy. And I’ve not gotten over that. So to elevate them to the status of being the state amphibian, I’m not there yet.”