Chinese Giant Salamander

By Hannah Lindstrom

Scientific Name: Andrias davidianus

Chinese giant salamanders are not only the world’s largest species of salamander; they are bigger than any other species of amphibian on the planet! This species has been known to reach lengths of up to 6 feet, although the average is around 4 feet and around 60 lbs.

Although these guys may seem tough, they are in real trouble! Due to things such as habitat loss, loss in habitat quality, and especially use as a food source, the Chinese giant salamander is now at great risk of becoming extinct! Nowadays, it is extremely hard for researches to find one specimen, let alone enough to find enough for a study.

Chinese Giant Salamander. Photo by Rhett A. Butler
Conservation of this unique species is extremely important, especially since it is so close to extinction. We must try and get the word out on how truly special these animals are and discourage all people from using them for food.


FAQs

  • May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.
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