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. 

• • 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.