Chinese giant salamander

The world's biggest amphibian — as long as a child

This salamander is 1.8 metres long — longer than a seven-year-old child! It's a 'living fossil' that has barely changed since the dinosaurs. It lives in cold mountain rivers and makes a sound like a crying baby — which is why the Chinese call it the 'baby fish'. Its eyes are tiny, but it feels vibrations in the water with its skin. Sadly, it is on the brink of extinction.

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) reaches 1.8 m and 50 kg — the largest amphibian; its family (Cryptobranchidae) has existed for 170 million years. It lives in clean, cold mountain rivers, breathes through its skin (its lungs are weak) and senses vibrations with a lateral line. Males guard clutches of up to 500 eggs in caves. Demand for its meat as a delicacy has cut numbers by 80% since the 1950s; millions are farmed, but almost none remain wild — a 2018 survey found only 24 in 97 sites over 4 years. Genetics has split it into 5–7 species. Chinese legend says the yin-yang symbol was inspired by two salamanders.

Fun facts

• This salamander cries like a baby — its Chinese name means 'baby fish'.
• Its family has existed for 170 million years — it saw the dinosaurs.
• Scientists searched for 4 years and found only 24 in the wild.