Chinese giant salamander

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Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Cryptobranchidae
Genus:	Andrias
Species:	A. davidianus

Binomial name

Andrias davidianus
(Blanchard, 1871)

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm (6 ft), although it rarely - if ever - reaches that size today. Endemic to rocky mountain streams and lakes in China, it is considered critically endangered due to habitat loss, pollution and over-collecting, as it is considered a delicacy and used in traditional Chinese medicine. Records from Taiwan may be the results of introductions.^[1]

1 Description and behavior
2 In captivity
3 EDGE
4 References

[edit] Description and behavior

It has a large head, small eyes and dark and wrinkly skin. It is one of only two extant species in the genus Andrias, the other being the slightly smaller, but otherwise very similar Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus). The Chinese giant salamander feeds on insects, frogs and fish. It has a very poor eyesight, and therefore depends on special sensory nodes on its forehead to detect even the slightest movement in the water. The female lays c. 500 eggs in an underwater breeding cavity, which is guarded by the male until the eggs hatch after 50-60 days.^[1] The average adult salamander is 25-30 kg (55-66 lb) and 1.15 m (3.8 ft).^[2]

[edit] In captivity

A medium-sized specimen, appoximately 3 ft (0.91 m) long, was kept for several years at the Steinhardt Aquarium in San Francisco, California, until 2002 (disposition unknown; possibly deceased, but could have been moved to another facility). Per early 2008, ISIS records only show five individuals held in US zoos (Zoo Atlanta, Cincinnati Zoo and Saint Louis Zoological Park), and an additional four in European zoos (Zoo Dresden and Rotterdam Zoo).^[3] It is likely additional individuals are kept in non-ISIS zoos and animals parks in its native China. It has been bred in captivity, but it is doubtful if this can be achieved to an extent where the pressure on the wild populations is reduced.^[1]

[edit] EDGE

On January 21, 2008, Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE), per chief Helen Meredith identified nature's most weird, wonderful and endangered species: "The EDGE amphibians are amongst the most remarkable and unusual species on the planet and yet an alarming 85% of the top 100 are receiving little or no conservation attention." In addition to the Chinese giant salamander, the top 10 endangered species (in the List of endangered animal species) include the tiny Gardiner's Seychelles frog, the limbless Sagalla caecilian, the South African ghost frogs, Mexican Lungless salamanders, the Malagasy rainbow frog, Chile Darwin's frog and the Betic Midwife Toad.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]