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Chinese giant salamander
Andrias davidianus
The Chinese Giant Salamander is the undisputed largest living amphibian in the world. A relic of prehistoric times, this colossal predator requires frigid, highly oxygenated water to survive and thrive.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Cryptobranchidae
Genus:Andrias
Species:Andrias davidianus
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Water Temperature
10 - 18 °C
pH Value
7 - 8.5
Environment
Freshwater
Humidity
100 %
Day temperature
10 - 18 °C
Night temperature
5 - 15 °C
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Andrias davidianus, commonly known as the Chinese giant salamander, is endemic to the mountain streams and fast-flowing rivers of central and southern China, particularly within the Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl river basins. It inhabits cold, clear streams flowing through forested and hilly valleys at altitudes between 100 and 1500 meters. It finds shelter in deep cavities under large submerged rocks, rocky crevices, and underwater caves where the current is strong and the water is rich in dissolved oxygen.
Taxonomy and Genetics: It belongs to the class Amphibia, order Caudata, family Cryptobranchidae, and genus Andrias. It is considered a true 'living fossil', belonging to an ancient evolutionary lineage dating back over 170 million years. Recent genetic studies indicate that what was historically considered a single species actually comprises several geographically isolated phylogenetic lineages. The species is critically endangered in the wild.
Behavior and Habits: It is a strictly aquatic, solitary, and territorial amphibian. It has predominantly nocturnal habits, spending the day hidden under large rocks in rivers. Lacking eyelids and having very poor eyesight, it relies on a series of sensory nodes arranged on the skin of its head and body to perceive tiny vibrations in the water and locate prey. It is an ambush predator that captures prey through suction.
Morphology: It is the largest living amphibian in the world, capable of reaching an exceptional length of 1.8 meters (6 feet) and a weight of over 50 kg (110 lbs) in the wild, though captive specimens rarely exceed 1 meter. The body is massive and flattened, and the head is large, wide, and flat with a huge mouth. The skin is naked, wrinkled, porous, and rich in lateral folds that increase the surface area for cutaneous respiration. Coloration varies from brown to dark grey with black mottling.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a dedicated aquarium or vat of monumental proportions (at least 1000 liters / 260 gallons for an adult). The setup must include a substrate of large, smooth river pebbles (avoiding fine sand that can be ingested or sharp gravel) and huge, heavy rocks arranged to form stable caves where the salamander can hide completely. It is necessary to generate a strong water current using powerheads.
Lighting and Heating: Being a nocturnal species that lives in dark crevices, lighting must be extremely dim and limited to the ambient light of the room. Heating must not be present; on the contrary, it is mandatory to install a professional water chiller to maintain the temperature constantly between 10°C and 16°C (50°F - 61°F). Temperatures above 20-22°C (68°F - 72°F) cause severe heat stress and are lethal.
Humidity and Hydration: Being a fully aquatic amphibian, it must remain constantly submerged. The water quality must be impeccable and constantly monitored. The lungs are rudimentary, and respiration occurs almost entirely through the skin folds; for this reason, the water must be saturated with oxygen using air stones and powerful filtration pumps.
Feeding and Supplementation: It is a voracious carnivorous predator. The diet must consist of fresh, whole prey: freshwater fish, crayfish, freshwater crabs, giant earthworms, frogs, and pieces of fish meat. Juveniles should be fed three times a week, while for adults a large meal once a week is sufficient. It does not require supplements if fed a varied diet of whole prey.
Compatibility: It must be housed strictly alone in a single-specimen tank. This species has strong cannibalistic tendencies and is highly territorial: any tankmate, whether of the same species or a different one, will be attacked, seriously injured, or swallowed due to the powerful suction force of the mouth. Even mating attempts are risky.
Health and Common Diseases: Extremely sensitive to the accumulation of ammonia and nitrites, which cause severe skin ulcerations and rapid death. Fungal skin infections (mycosis) and secondary bacterial lesions develop if the water temperature is too warm or if filtration is inefficient. It is vulnerable to Ranavirus and the fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), highly lethal emerging pathogens.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Andrias davidianus, commonly known as the Chinese giant salamander, is endemic to the mountain streams and fast-flowing rivers of central and southern China, particularly within the Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl river basins. It inhabits cold, clear streams flowing through forested and hilly valleys at altitudes between 100 and 1500 meters. It finds shelter in deep cavities under large submerged rocks, rocky crevices, and underwater caves where the current is strong and the water is rich in dissolved oxygen.
Origin
East Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 90 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 90 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 90 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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