Look at this salamander!!!

[Dani33]

I was just reading about salamanders and came across these pics. I never realised that there was such a beast! Holy, just thought that I'd share, I'm amazed!
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Andrias/A_japonicus.shtml

[urd]

WOW!:jawdrop: that thing was HUGE!

[Bartman]

i didnt even realize until i saw the little girl their...that thing is extremly large..thats insane!! wow..im speechless lol

[sevenofthorns]

THey don't call the Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders for nothing. We have version here in North American called the hellbender that isn't as massive but still pretty cool. Reptiles magazine had an article on them all I believe it was last August.

[Siretsap]

yeahj a fisnerman's worse nightmare... lolol
they still get pretty big considering most amphibians we have in north america are of a small size.

[sevenofthorns]

Well Dicamptodon species and Ambystoma tigrinum/mavourtium are arguably the two longest terrestrial species of amphibians in the world, and both are native to NA. We do have our fair share of large amphibian species.

[Dani33]

Yup, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that little girl. Thanks for taken a peek :)

[AlexPan]

Wow that is amasing! I wish to have one of those! any one knoe where to get them lol?

[lowrider2004]

holy crap thats big, thats real cool.

[Linds]

Yeah those guys are totally cool! I was reading an article in Reptiles mag at work a couple months ago that featured them, and a fwe others. Does anyone know if there are any of them being kept in Canada?

[AlexPan]

I just got a reply from one of the host of that site, here is what he said...

"Andrias japonicus live only in Japan
(except for a few in zoos) where they are endangered and protected by
law. Our photos were taken at a zoo in Tokyo."

So i gess they are not for sale :(

[Oliverian]

That's so awesome! It's like a living dinosaur.

Almost looks like a fish skeleton eh? But with a different tail, and legs. Very neat guy!

-TammyR

[kidchameleon]

wow! that thing is huge.

[sevenofthorns]

Nope...no one in Canada has any of them. A few places in the US are working with them, but they are on loan from China and Japan, as they are listed as natural treasures and protected fully over there. All this means is that their governments can ask for them back at any time, but they probably wouldn't.

Great species. If you want a large aquatic amphibian check out Dicamptodon species...sometimes they morph, sometime they remain gilled, and they can reach around 15" or so.

Salamanders are my thing..I have about 50 or so of them over here.

[Linds]

Originally posted by sevenofthorns
Nope...no one in Canada has any of them. A few places in the US are working with them, but they are on loan from China and Japan, as they are listed as natural treasures and protected fully over there.

Yeah I remember in the article pictures of them using them in educational shows, so I knew they were somewhere in North America.

[Scotty Allen]

And, to make them even more interesting, they bite. Hard! I had the opportunity to handle one quite a few years ago. Imagine trying to grab hold of a five foot, 10 lb. chunk of wet liver with teeth and a brain that does not want to be grabbed.

[Lrptls]

is the chinese and japanese giant salamander the same species?

[sevenofthorns]

No, different species but in the same family. Very similiar.

That's awesome Scotty. I now envy you! I haven't had the pleasure of seeing one of them first hand yet, but it's on my 'to do' list. Salamanders rock.