News Excerpt:
The video of giant ancient salamanders living inside caves in southwest China has sparked awe and concern within the scientific community.
About the Giant Salamander:
- They are one of the largest amphibians on the planet.
- It is 5.9 feet long and weighs 140 pounds with a large head, small eyes, and dark, wrinkled skin.
- They have poor eyesight, so the Chinese giant salamander's skin is covered by sensory nodes that detect vibrations and help them find prey.
- Adult Chinese Giant Salamanders can absorb oxygen directly through their porous skin.
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- Its wrinkled, baggy appearance increases the overall surface area for oxygen absorption.
- They produce a white fluid through their skin that smells peppery to ward off potential predators.
- These are mostly aquatic and live in cold, fast-flowing water where oxygen is in good supply.
- Chinese giant salamanders are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- Salamanders live all over the world, including in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.
- But, the United States has the largest population of salamanders.
- They descended from an ancient group of salamanders that lived over 170 million years ago, going all the way back to the Jurassic period.
Threats:
Chinese Giant Salamanders have been overexploited for the luxury food market, farming practices may be causing hybridization of different species and they are being over-harvested from the wild. They are also decreasing as a result of habitat loss.