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  • Chinese Giant Salamander
Amphibians

Chinese Giant Salamander

Scientific Name

Andrias davidianus

Other Common Name(s)

Chinese Salamander

Body Weight

Up to 65 kg

Body Length

Up to 2 m

Silhouette of a giant salamander next to a human for size comparison.
Giant salamander resting on a rock underwater.

Habitat

Mountain streams and rivers
River flowing through mountains

Diet

They feed on plankton during their juvenile stage and typically eat crustaceans, insects, and fish as adults.
Fish, scallop, squid, and shrimp.
Green seaweed on sandy bottom with bubbles.

Fun Facts

  • Chinese giant salamanders are the largest amphibians in the world.

  • Chinese giant salamanders are nocturnal. They live in muddy river bottoms and hide in rock crevices. Possessing poor eyesight, they prey on fish, insects and snails using smell and touch.

Giant salamander with grey, spotted skin in water, next to a green plant.
Chinese giant salamander resting on rocks underwater.

Distribution

Endemic to China and native to Shanxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Hunan, and Chongqing

Threats & Conservation

Threats & Conservation

Threats

  • An axe and a hexagonal grid with red dotsAn axe and a hexagonal grid with red dots

    Overexploitation of Biological Resources

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    Human Disturbance & Ecosystem Disruption

  • Different types of microbesDifferent types of microbes

    Invasive Species & Diseases

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    Pollution

Over-exploitation is the major threat driving Chinese giant salamanders towards extinction. They are captured as a delicacy. Their habitats are also destroyed by pollution as well as dams which alter the flow of water. Deforestation has caused excess soil to silt up rivers. Since the 1960s, the population of Chinese giant salamanders has experienced a drastic decline of over 80%.

Conservation

IUCN Red List graphic showing conservation statuses: Critically Endangered, with categories EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD.
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IUCN Red List

  • Critically Endangered

Red List of China's Biodiversity

  • Critically Endangered

CITES

  • Appendix I

Conservation Regulations​

  • Chinese Wildlife Conservation Law: Category 2

  • Protected under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong

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