One of the 14 salamanders on WAnimals
Amphibians · Caudata · Cryptobranchidae
Chinese Giant Salamander
Andrias davidianus
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The Chinese giant salamander is a urodele amphibian of the family Cryptobranchidae, which also includes the Japanese giant salamander and the American giant salamander. Including its tail this species reaches up to 1.8 m in length, making it the largest amphibian in the world.
Weight
25 kg – 60 kg
Size
1 m – 1.8 m
Lifespan
60 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Fun facts
- It is the largest amphibian on the planet: animals of more than a metre and a half have been documented, and its lineage has remained practically unchanged for more than 170 million years.
- Its wild population has fallen by more than ninety per cent within a few decades through capture for food: it is a luxury delicacy in China, and there are thousands of farms that have both driven demand and emptied the rivers of breeding animals.
- A 2018 study revealed that what was considered a single species is in fact at least five distinct lineages, and that mass releases of farmed animals have mixed populations genetically separated for millions of years.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
- Habitat & environment
- Cold, fast, well-oxygenated mountain streams and rivers of central and southern China
- Sexual maturity
- 6 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 55 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 500
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrias_davidianus
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Chinese Giant Salamander — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Japanese Giant Salamander
Andrias japonicus
Chinese Softshell Turtle
Pelodiscus sinensis
VulnerableClouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Critically EndangeredChinese Pangolin
Manis pentadactyla
VulnerableAsiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
How to help
The chinese giant salamander is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about chinese giant salamander.
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