Nature has magic. Whenever I think of explaining nature in words only thing that comes to mind is calmness and beauty. There are lot of creatures on this Earth. From small Ant sized to Elephant. In them too there are many sub divisions i.e different species. One of the such species is the Salamander, we have seen the small sized Salamanders but there is also large sized Salamanders.
Yes, the Chinese Giant Salamander, Capable of growing nearly 6 feet in length and living as long as your grandparents. The mighty salamander once had the world at its wet, stubby feet. It’s a “living fossil,” having seen the dinosaurs come and go, and it is currently the largest amphibian on the planet. Chinese giant Salamanders have the longest life span of any amphibian.
Chinese giant salamanders are one of three known “giant” types, all of which diverged from other amphibians.
Sleek and mysterious, this creature lives underwater yet does not have gills—it absorbs oxygen through its skin . The Chinese giant Salamander is a flagship species for China’s freshwater river ecosystems.
Chinese giant Salamanders are expertly camouflaged against the rocky river bottoms. It is a mottled grayish or greenish and brown, with a long, thick body with four stubby limbs, and a blunt head with tiny eyes (with no eye lids) behind its nostrils. Its tail makes up over half of its body length. As if to lighten up its daunting appearance, its mouth is often bent into a slight, smug grin.The Chinese Giant Salamander is endemic to rocky, mountain rivers and large streams in China. They spend their time filling the top predator niche in rushing, freshwater ecosystems, chowing down on fish, frogs, worms, snails, insects, crayfish, crabs, and even smaller salamanders. They feed using an efficient suction technique.
These amphibians spend their entire lives underwater, yet they do not have gills—they absorb oxygen through their porous skin. Their tiny eyes aren’t much help, and instead they detect prey by sensing their vibrations in the water. Sensory nodes run along the sides of the Chinese giant salamander’s body from head to tail, enabling it to detect prey.
Males may defend an underwater den where females can lay their strings of eggs, and he will fertilise them and protect them area until they hatch. The Chinese Giant Salamander produces sounds that resemble a baby’s cry. When threatened Chinese Giant Salamanders produce a white fluid through their skin that smells peppery to ward off potential predators.
Chinese Giant Salamanders have been overexploited for the luxury food market, farming practices may be causing hybridisation of different species and they are being over harvesting from the wild. They are also decreasing as a result of habitat loss.