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Japanese Giant Salamander
Andrias japonicus
The Japanese Giant Salamander is a massive aquatic beast, ranking as the second-largest amphibian globally. This prehistoric, heavily speckled creature dwells exclusively in cold, rushing mountain rivers.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Cryptobranchidae
Genus:Andrias
Species:Andrias japonicus
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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: Endemic to the cold, fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu in Japan. It is a strictly aquatic, bottom-dwelling species that hides in underwater crevices and hollows along riverbanks.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Cryptobranchidae. Commonly known as the Japanese Giant Salamander. It is a living fossil, protected as a Special Natural Monument in Japan. It lacks external gills, breathing instead through its folded, vascularized skin.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal, sedentary, and highly territorial. During the day, they remain hidden in dark river caves. At night, they crawl slowly along the riverbed to forage. They are ambush predators with a powerful suction bite. They can live for over 50 years.
Morphology: Massive, flattened body reaching 100-150 cm in length. The skin is thick, wrinkled, and covered in mucus. Coloration is mottled brown, grey, or black, providing excellent camouflage against river stones. Eyes are extremely small and lidless. Dimorphism is minimal.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a very large aquarium or specialized indoor pond (minimum 200-300 cm in length, containing over 1000 liters). Must have strong water flow, excellent filtration, and a substrate of large, smooth river stones. Secure, heavy lids are mandatory.
Lighting and Heating: Cold-water species. Maintain temperatures strictly between 10-18°C. A high-quality aquarium chiller is mandatory, as temperatures above 22°C are lethal. Keep lighting dim and shaded.
Humidity and Hydration: Strictly aquatic. The water must be pristine, highly oxygenated, and free of chlorine and chloramines. Perform weekly water changes of 50% and use heavy-duty canister or pond filters.
Feeding and Supplementation: Carnivorous ambush predator. Feed whole freshwater fish, crayfish, and large earthworms. They swallow prey whole via suction. Avoid feeding mammalian meat, which can cause fatty liver disease.
Compatibility: Highly aggressive and territorial. Must be housed individually. Mixing specimens, even of similar size, can result in severe injuries, limb loss, and mortality.
Health and Common Diseases: Extremely sensitive to heat stress and ammonia toxicity, which can lead to skin ulcers and fatal fungal infections. They secrete a thick, sticky, pepper-scented mucus when stressed. Avoid handling.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the cold, fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu in Japan. It is a strictly aquatic, bottom-dwelling species that hides in underwater crevices and hollows along riverbanks.
Origin
North AmericaEast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 136 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 136 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 136 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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