Chinese giant salamander

The Chinese giant salamander is one of the largest salamanders and one of the largest amphibians in the world. It is fully aquatic and is mainly found at rocky mountain streams and lakes in the Yangtze river basin of central China.

Chinese giant salamanders are expertly camouflaged against the rocky river bottoms. It is a mottled grayish or greenish and brown, with a long, thick body, four stubby limbs, and a blunt head with tiny eyes (no eye lids) behind its nostrils. Its tail makes up over half of its body length. It weighs about 25-30kg. They spend their time filling to top predator niche in rushing, freshwater ecosystem, chowing down on fish, frogs, worms, snails, insects, crayfish, crabs, and even smaller salamanders.

The Chinese giant salamander is oviparous; this means that it reproduces by laying eggs, which in this particular case will be externally fertilized. Female salamanders enter a male's shelter. They then lay 400 to 500 eggs that remain connected, adopting a similar shape to a pearl necklace. They reach their full maturity at an age of 5 to 6 and its length is about 40-50cm{16-20in} and its maximum age is said to be unknown but it can live up to at least about 60 years based on the captive individuals.

The Chinese giant salamander is a 'flagship' species for China's freshwater river systems. Efforts to conserve it will play a vital role protecting the region's habitats and biodiversity, as well as freshwater resources for the people of China. Despite its “giant” status, fewer than 50,000 wild individuals still remain. Its range once extended across much of southern and central China, but today, it's highly fragmented. Salamander is now critically endangered due to over harvesting for human consumption, as well as habitat loss and water pollution.