Chinese Giant Salamander – Online Biology Dictionary

Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus)

Online Biology Dictionary

Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus)
Image: H. Zell

Chinese Giant Salamander These huge, permanently aquatic animals are the largest amphibians in the world. The generic name, Andrias, derives from the fact that they can be as large as a human being. According to Ye et al. (1993), they reach maximum lengths of 195 cm (6.39 ft) in females and 184 cm (6.04 ft) in males. They can weigh as much as 70 kg (154 lbs) (Murphy et al. 2000), but most specimens are smaller (Liu and Liu 1998). They continue growing throughout life and may reach an age of 80 years or more.

These giants live in rocky upland streams and lakes with clear, well-oxygenated water. They are nocturnally active, but retire to their burrows by day. Because adults lack gills, they periodically lift their nostrils above the surface to breath.

During breeding season the male aggressively guards his burrow, but allows females to enter and spawn there. He then fertilizes the eggs and guards them till they hatch (which takes 50-60 days).

Geographic Range: China, from Qinghai to Jiangsu and south to Sichuan, Guanxi and Guangdong; also introduced in Taiwan.

IUCN Status: Critically endangered.

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Works cited:

Liu, G., and Q. Liu 1998. Andrias davidianus (Blanchard, 1871). In: China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals. Amphibia and Reptilia., (ed.) Zhao, E., pp. 30-33. China: Science Press, Beijing.

Murphy, R.W. et al. 2000. Genetic variability among endangered Chinese giant salamanders, Andrias davidianus. Molecular Ecology 9, pp. 1539–1547.

Ye, C.-Y, Fei, L., Hu, S.Q. 1993. Rare and Economic Amphibians of China. Chengdu: Sichuan Publishing House of Science and Technology.

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