Crouching Tiger, Hidden Salamander
I don’t know if you have ever really looked at a salamander’s face, but they have some of the most awkward, “ope ‘scuse me” faces of the animal kingdom. Salamanders are intriguing family that I sadly have limited information about, but this week you are giving me a great reason to delve into a species that I have been fascinated by for years, the Chinese giant salamander. After looking further into this epic animal, I discovered another giant. This week, I will be talking about 2 giants of China (not Giant pandas, those are the definition of charismatic species). These gentle giants are the remnants of when amphibians used to rule the world (it’s true, amphibians were the top dog in the late Carboniferous and the beginning of the Permian periods).
What is it? Both species are salamanders, which are a type of amphibian. There are several species of giant salamanders in the world, but the Chinese giant salamanders and the South China giant salamanders are the two largest. These behemoths can grow up to 6 feet long and weigh up to 110lbs, though they average around 4ft and 55 to 65lbs. They are considered to be a “living fossil” because they belong to the family Cryptobranchidae (Latin for giant salamanders), whose origins date back to 170 million years.
Where does it live? Our friendly salamanders are a fully aquatic species that live in the rivers of China. The salamanders’ habitats are severely fragmented with the Chinese giant salamander found in waterways of the Yangtze River basin, and the South China giant salamander is only found in the Pearl River. They are a freshwater species and what’s funny is that for being an extremely large species, these salamanders like to live in small, quick moving mountain streams. If you’re old like me, I imagine Chris Farley doing his “fat guy in a little coat” song when imagining a 6ft salamander trying to be inconspicuous in a tiny stream. They prefer their streams to be rocky, with lots of gravel, and some plant growth as well. That’s their paradise.
What does it eat? Salamanders may not look like it but they are voracious predators. If you were an insect, you would be shaking in your insect boots. The Chinese and South China giant salamanders diet range from insects, worms, fish, freshwater crustaceans, something called an Asiatic water shrew (so a small mouse like animal), and other amphibians (frogs and salamanders). Similar to the Hairy screaming armadillo, these guys also accidentally eat plants and gravel while hunting. Lastly, and I’m sorry to say, but these giant salamanders are known to….on occasion…frequently partake in cannibalism. I know! I’m sorry, but I have to share the whole truth. A study was done in China, and in 79 individuals, 28% of the stomach contents were other giant salamanders. It’s the wild, nature happens. After that though, 23% was made up of freshwater crabs….so at least there’s that. Ok, moving on...
What does salamander dating look like? Our beloved giant salamanders know it is time to find a partner when the water temperature starts to reach 68 degrees. Their mating season lasts from July to September. When courting, both species have a playbook of moves they can use to find that special salamander. Some examples of these courtship displays include leaning side-to-side, chasing, mouth-to-mouth posturing, inviting, and cohabitation… that doesn’t sound familiar at all. The pair will find a nice, protected cavity where the female will lay around 400-500 eggs, and the male will protect them until the eggs hatch up to 60 days later. They hit full maturity around 5-6 years old. Scientists are unsure how long these giants can live, but it’s at minimum 60 years old based off salamanders in zoological settings, though there are claims of 200 years, but those are probably more urban legend than fact.
What are the Chinese giant salamander’s superpowers? These giants have so many superpowers that help them survive, hunt, and even communicate in the wild. First, they pretty much can breathe through their skin. Many amphibians have extremely porous skin that allows oxygen to be absorbed. Our giants have terrible eyesight, but like the superhero Daredevil, they can detect the world around them with other senses. Their bodies are covered in sensory nodes that detect vibrations in the water created by prey. Giant salamanders are quite the talkers, and have been know to make barking, hissing, crying or whining sounds. Their cries sound eerily similar to that of a child crying, and in Chinese their name literally translates to “infant fish”. Though these amazing animals have more superpowers I will stop with one that made me double take. Our talented giants, can go without food for YEARS!!! Years…this is due to their metabolic reserve (I don’t know what that is but I want one) and because their liver can control their proteins according to however long they’ve been fasting for. These are such talented amphibians.
How many Chinese and South Chinese giant salamanders are there? There are two species we are looking at, the Chinese giant salamander and the South China giant salamander. The South China giant salamander is a singular species, with no sub categories. Alright, let’s get a little complicated!!! Ok, you have heard of subspecies, but today we are going to talk about clades. These clades are so close in looks and genetics that they are one species, but different enough that they could possibly become their own species. The Chinese giant salamanders have 5 clades that are highly isolated. There isn’t a known number of species due to their amazing camouflage, isolated habitats, and the sheer size of the river basin.
Image from Animalia Bio
Science Time!!!
This will be a little different from previous breakdowns. Science is a wonderful and ever evolving subject because we are always learning new things. I will list the species as the OG, the Chinese giant salamander. I have listed 3 of the clades that have become their own species recently, including the South China giant salamander. I could not find definitive names for the other clades at this time, but I will keep looking into it.
Chinese giant salamander - Andrias davidianus
South China giant salamander - Andrias sligoi
Qimen giant salamander - Andrias cheni
Jiangxi giant salamander - Andrias jiangxiensis
All members under the Chinese giant salamander species have been designated at Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Their number are drastically decreasing. The population has declined around 80% over the last 45 years. Which is mind blowing.
Threats to the Chinese giant salamander include habitat loss and further fragmentation, pollution, dams, fishing using electricity or poison, and above all over-harvesting. Despite the symbolism of the giant salamanders in china, and belief that they make up the Yin-yang, the demand for their meat as a delicacy has only increased. There are many farms that raise giants salamanders for consumption, but wild harvesting is still occurring.
Resources:
Chinese Giant Salamander Andrias davidianushas most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Andrias davidianus is listed as Critically Endangered under criteria A2acde.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. (n.d.). Chinese giant salamander. Animals and Plants. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/chinese-giant-salamander
Zoological Society of London (n.d.) Chinese giant salamander conservation. Projects. https://www.zsl.org/what-we-do/projects/chinese-giant-salamander-conservation
