The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world, and is fully aquatic. It grows up to 1.8 meters in length, though most individuals found today are considerably smaller. The skin is dark brown, black or greenish in color and irregularly blotched. It is also rough, wrinkled and porous which facilitates respiration through the skin as this large amphibian lacks gills. This species has an elongated body, and 4 legs which are roughly similar in size. The snout is less rounded than that of the related Japanese giant salamander and the tail is a little longer and broader. Both species have tubercles on the head and throat, though their arrangement is different.
This giant amphibian is generally active at night, when it relies on smell and touch to locate its prey. It lives in muddy, dark rock crevices along riverbanks and feeds on fish, smaller salamanders, worms, insects, crayfish and snails, catching them with a rapid sideways snap of the mouth. It has an extremely slow metabolism and can go for weeks without eating if necessary. During the day it retires beneath rocks. Both the Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders are long lived, with one specimen in captivity living for 52 years.
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This giant amphibian is generally active at night, when it relies on smell and touch to locate its prey. It lives in muddy, dark rock crevices along riverbanks and feeds on fish, smaller salamanders, worms, insects, crayfish and snails, catching them with a rapid sideways snap of the mouth. It has an extremely slow metabolism and can go for weeks without eating if necessary. During the day it retires beneath rocks. Both the Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders are long lived, with one specimen in captivity living for 52 years.
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