Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus)

Common Name: Chinese Giant Salamander
Scientific Name: Andrias davidianus
Family: Cryptobranchidae– Giant Salamander family
Location: China
Introduced Locations: Taiwan and Japan
Size: 5.9 feet (180 cm)

The Chinese Giant Salamander is the largest salamander and amphibian in the world. They are described as a living fossil. A living fossil is an organism that closely resemble organisms only found in fossil records. Sadly, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the salamanders as critically endangered. There are known records of the salamander living as long as 60 years. However, there are stories of them living over 200 years. They are primarily nocturnal but they are known to emerge during the day during breeding season.

A new study showed that the Chinese Giant Salamander is at least 5 different species and as many as 8.  Sadly, all of the new species are in bad shape conservation wise. Amphibiaweb and Amphibian Species of the World hasn’t recognized the distinct species so I’m not going to either until they have.

Mating

The salamanders breed from August to September. For breeding, the female salamanders lays her eggs in an underwater cavity. Next, the male salamander fertilizes the eggs. After that, he guards the eggs until they hatch.  It takes the eggs almost two months to hatch. Additionally, the new born salamanders take around 5 to 6 years to reach sexual maturity.

Conservation

The Chinese Giant Salamander is moving fast to becoming extinct. Most of their habitat is being destroyed and they are illegally taken for medicine and food. Additionally, the streams that they live in are also polluted. They need help before its too late.