Chinese Giant Salamander

From its picture, this amphibian doesn't look like much, with its rough, wrinkled, blotchy skin. But this critter has one giant claim to fame: It's the largest salamander in the world, growing to three feet or more in total length. And if you think that's big news, imagine this: Individuals are actually much smaller now than they were in the recent past, when they could grow up to six feet in length. Wow!

The Chinese giant salamander spends all of its time in clear, cool water. During the day it hides under submerged rocks or in rocky crevices in riverbanks. At night, the salamander comes out of hiding to search for food. It has an unusual way of eating: The jawbone is "hinged" in the center, so the amphibian quickly lowers one side of the jaw and sucks nearby prey into its mouth. And when it comes to prey, the giant salamander will eat just about anything it can suck into its mouth, including crayfish, snails, fish, smaller salamanders, worms, and insects.

As the mating season approaches in late summer, males become more active during the day as they search for breeding cavities, usually under rocks or logs. A male will guard his cavity against intruders. A female enters the breeding cavity, lays 400 to 600 eggs, and leaves immediately. The male fertilizes the eggs and then protects them from predators (like fish) until they hatch into larvae some 50 to 60 days later. (Talk about daddy day care!)

The Chinese giant salamander is critically endangered, which means it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Since about 1960, the wild population has declined by more than 80% due to various problems: habitat loss, water pollution, and over-collection for the pet trade and for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in Asia. And while the population size has dropped sharply, so, too, has the size of individual salamanders (as noted above); this is mostly a result of over-collecting.

What's being done to help the Chinese giant salamander? For one thing, there are laws that strictly limit the international trade in the species. And in China, there is a huge reserve dedicated to conserving many species, including this salamander. Habitat conservation efforts like this are critical if the Chinese giant salamander is to survive in the wild.

Finally, experts from around the world are working hard to understand why so many amphibians -- including the Chinese giant salamander -- are facing an extinction crisis. These specialists are learning more about the causes of amphibian declines in order to develop successful conservation strategies.

Did You Know?

The Chinese giant salamander is one of just three species of giant salamander; the others are the Japanese giant salamander and the hellbender, found in the United States.