#giant salamanders

[snototter]

An Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) also known as the snot otter, devil-dog, lasagna lizard, grampus, mud devil, or Allegheny alligator, in Tennessee, USA

by Kevin Stohlgren

[antiqueanimals]

The Quizzer Book of Knowledge: Nature. Written and edited by George Beal. 1978.

Internet Archive

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Big Round of Applause for the Chinese Giant Salamander

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is one of the largest amphibians in the world, second only to the South China giant salamander (Andrias sligoi) which was only recently distinguished as a separate species. This species typically weights 25–30 kg (55–66 lb) and is 1.15 m (3.8 ft) in length, although It can reach up to 50 kg (110 lb) and 1.8 m (5.9 ft). Its anatomy is well-suited to its aquatic lifestyle; the broad, flat body allows it to creep along riverbeds, and its wide mouth allows it to gulp down any prey it might come accross. Their eyesight is very poor and as a result the eyes themselves are small. A. davidianus‘s skin is typically dark to blend in with its surrounding, and the excess wrinkles provide more surface area through which it can absorb oxygen from the water.

As their name suggests, the Chinese giant salamander is found only in China; specifically fragmented areas from Qinghai to Jiangsu and south to Sichuan, Guangxi and Guangdong. This species is entirely aquatic, and thus is most often found in the basins of the Yangtze, Yellow and Pearl Rivers. A. davidianus lives in caves or freshwater crevices, although they are also seen along lakes or open rocky riverbeds.

Part of the reason this species is so large is because they grow throughout their entire lives. Chinese giant salamanders start out as eggs, which are hatched in groups of 400-500 laid in slow-moving underwater cavities. The eggs are quite large, at a maximum size of 14–16 mm (0.55–0.62 in) after they’re laid and habe absorbed water. They take 50-60 days to hatch, and larvae emerge already resembling their parents, albeit with external gills, and are already 3 cm (1.2 in) long. The young are independent, although they typically stay in the stream they were hatched in until they’re fully grown. The gills are lost at 3 years old, although sexual maturity isn’t reached until 5 to 6 years and a length of 40–50 cm (16–20 in).

Mating occurs between mating occurs between July and September, when the water temperature reaches 20 °C (68 °F). During this time, males push sand and gravel out of their dens to clean them-- a process that can take up to a week-- and ‘shower’ regularly by moving under fast-moving currents. Females are attracted to clean dens, and once she chooses a mate the pair engage in a number of courtship behaviors including knocking bellies, leaning side-to-side, and cohabitating. After the female lays her eggs, she leaves and the male guards the eggs until they hatch. Individuals as old as 60 have been recorded in the wild, although few individuals survive past the larval stage.

Chinese giant salamanders have few predators as adults. The most common are otters, red foxes, weasels and hog badgers, although juveniles can also fall prey to large fish or even adult salamanders. To deter predators, A. davidianus secretes a white acidic, sticky substance from its skin. For the most part this species is the apex predator of its ecosystem, and feeds on insects, smaller amphibians, crustaceans, fish, and the Chinese water shrew (Chimarrogale styani). Individuals detect their prey by a combination of detecting chemicals in the water and a series of nodes along the sides of their bodies that sense vibration. When prey is located, the salamander creates a vaccum with their mouths, sucking in water and their meal.

Conservation status: The Chinese giant salamander is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Primary threats include habitat loss, disease, and over-harvesting for meat. National and international conservation programs and zoos are working to raise awareness, conserve habitat, and raise captive-bred salamanders for re-release in the wild.

Extra fun picture for Chinese New Year:

This picture is from a series of paintings by artist Frankie Huang, who depicts a number of Chinese words literally. In this piece, the Chinese giant salamander is shown as the literal translation of its name in China: Wawayu, or ‘Baby fish’. This name comes from the salamanders’ distinct vocalizations, which can often sound like crying babies.

Photos

Theodore Papenfuss

Egon Heiss

Ben Tapley

Frankie Huang (Instagram)

[daily-fun-animal-facts]

Giant Salamanders

These amphibians spend their entire lives underwater, yet they do not have gills—they absorb oxygen through their porous skin.

[zoonomatology]

SNOT OTTER (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

Herasimtschuk, D. 2015. “Two male Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) fight over prime breeding habitat” North Carolina, USA

Better known as the hellbender, the snot otter ain’t no mustelid. Also recognised as the mud dog, lasagna lizard, grampus and several more delightful vernaculars, this sizeable salamander has only its appearance to blame (most notably the thick, slimy folds of skin running down the lateral sides of the animal). I think they’re adorable.

[antiqueanimals]

Reptiles and Amphibians; a Guide to Familiar American Species. Illustrated by James Gordon Irving. 1956.

[antiqueanimals]

Request for giant salamander please

1.) Atlas zur wissenschaftlich-populären Naturgeschichte der Wirbelthiere. 1867.

2.) Wildlife of the World. Written by Richard Lydekker. 1915-1916. Illustration by Alfred Weczerzick.

3.) Amphibia and Reptiles, written by Hans Gadow. 1909.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Heavenly Hellbender Salamander

Also known as mud-devils or Allegheny alligators, the Hellbender Salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is the largest salamander in North and South America. They can grow up to two feet in length and weigh between 3-5 lbs, making them easily distinguishable from other salamanders. They’re only found in fast-moving rivers and streams in the Appalachian mountains, with large, intermittent rocks that they can nest under. The hellbenders are also unique in that they have vestigial gills and lungs- as adults, they can absorb oxygen using several loose flaps of thick wrinkled skin running along their sides. The lungs are used instead for bouncy, and only rarely to breathe. In addition to breathing, their skin secretes a toxin that, although not fatal, is highly unpleasant to predators and curious humans.

Due to their size, hellbender salamanders feed primarily on crayfish, but they are also known to eat other invertebrates, small fish and even juvenile hellbenders and eggs. They are ambush predators, hiding under rocks and allowing their heads to blend in with the surrounding riverbed. As a result of their diet, they tend to be more active in the summer, when warm weather brings out crayfish, and at night when ambushing is easier.

Outside of their breeding season these massive amphibians are solitary. When they do mate, they do so externally: males exavate a nest beneath a rock and either attract or coral pregnant females inside, where she lays her eggs and he fertilizes them. The females can lay between 200 and 400 eggs, although males have been known to lure more than one female into their nests, and clutches of almost 2,000 eggs have been found. After mating, the female is driven out and the male incubates the eggs under his skin folds for just over two months. When they hatch, juveniles lack limbs and rely on their gills to breathe for two years, until the external gills are shed. They mature sexually at 5-6 years, and can live for up to 25 years.

Conservation status: The hellbender’s range has declined dramatically in recent decades, driven primarily by habitat destruction, pollution and overfishing of them and their prey. Classified as Near Threatened, they are listed as protected in several states in and around Appalachia. There are also several conservation programs in place to preserve the species.