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  • Chinese Giant Salamander

Chinese giant salamander

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Yangtze River
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

Up to 52 years

under human care

Diet

Diet

Fish,

smaller salamanders, invertebrates

Habitat

Habitat

Cold, fast-flowing

mountain streams and lakes

Range

Range

Tributaries of

the Pearl, Yellow and Yangtze rivers in China

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The Chinese giant salamanders

Giant ‘babies’

Giant ‘babies’

The Chinese giant salamanders have existed since the time of the dinosaurs, about 350 million years ago.

Despite their poor eyesight, they’re adept at catching their prey with a sideways snap of their mouth by sensing vibrations in the water.

Their repertoire of calls includes one that sounds like the mewling of a human infant. For this, ‘baby fish’ has stuck as its Chinese common name.
No breathing space

No breathing space

The Chinese giant salamanders absorb oxygen from the water for respiration through their scale-less, bumpy, moist skin. As they require clean, cool water, they find it hard to survive in the polluted lower course of the river. Instead, they live in the upper stretches of the river with clean freshwater with high oxygen content. Sadly, poor water quality has led to habitat degradation for this species. They are also overharvested as a delicacy and for medicinal purposes.

Together, we protect wildlife

Farmed delicacy

Farmed delicacy

The Chinese giant salamander is consumed as a delicacy in China. While many restaurants claim to serve only farmed salamanders, conservationists believe the breeding stock for these comes from individuals captured by farmers from the wild.

Join us in choosing only sustainably-farmed produce.

The IUCN Status

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Every visit to our parks comes with
Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

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We're open every day of the year.

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Singapore 729826

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