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With a wide mouth, a large tongue, and beady little
eyes, he's quite the oddball; and he's not always a pretty orange either. Maybe this one was bred in captivity; but I had to post the
interesting over the more obviously ugly. They have
wrinkled, bumpy skin with folds to increase surface area, as they take in oxygen through their skin in flowing water. Needless
to say, they are not Critically Endangered because of their cuteness (although the orange one is kinda goofy looking).
They also don't reach sexual maturity until around 15 years old; this means a slow turnaround for baby giants.
In fact, the really big ones are mostly hunted out; the average salamander
found is much smaller.
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Save
the Chinese Giant Salamander
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Don't eat the Salamander
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save the Chinese Giant Salamander
Their
meat is considered a delicacy in China, as well as a source for traditional medicines. Since the 1960's, it is estimated that
80% of their prior populations have died off
These poor guys are not exactly equipped for dodging hunters. They predictably hide out in rock crevasses, and
are thus easily found and yanked out. They're also nocturnal, so hunters can root around during the day with plenty of light.
They have also had problems when construction, such as the building of dams, converts their waters into still rather
than flowing
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