The Giant Salamanders (Cryptobranchidae) are aquatic amphibians found in brooks and ponds in Japan, China and with a similar specimen in the United States. The Japanese Giant Salamander reaches five feet and feeds on fish and crustaceans, and can live for up to 80 years.

They hunt mainly at night, and as they have poor eyesight, use sensory nodes on their head and body to detect minute changes in water pressure, allowing them to detect their prey.

Reproduction

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During mating season, these salamanders will travel upstream where, after the fertilization of the eggs, the male will guard them for at least six months. At this point, the offspring will live off their noticeable stored fat until ready to hunt. Once ready they will hunt as a group rather then individual.

Scientific names

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• Genus Andrias (Giant Salamanders)
  • Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus)
  • Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus)
• Genus Cryptobranchus (Hellbenders)
  • Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis )

The Swiss physician Johann Jacob Scheuchzer described in 1726 a fossil as Andrias scheuchzeri (Andrias means "image of man"). He assumed that it was a fossil of a human being that survived the Great Flood, and called it Homo diluvii testis (Witness of the Great Flood). The Teylers Museum in Haarlem (the Netherlands) bought the fossil in 1802, where it still is being exhibited. In 1812 the fossil was examined by Georges Cuvier who recognized it as being a Giant Salamander. The name of the genus Andrias was used for the Chinese and Japanese Giant Salamander.

The same species Andrias scheuchzeri plays a main role in Karel Čapek's book War with the Newts.

External links

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• Eastern Hellbender Fact Sheet
• Chinese Giant Salamander
• Japanese Giant Salamander
• Giant Salamanders in Cryptozoology

Salamanders

Riesensalamander | Modderduivels | オオサンショウウオ | Cryptobranchidae