page_title: Chinese giant salamander
section_title: Breeding and lifecycle
hierarchical_section_title: Chinese giant salamander / Behavior / Breeding and lifecycle
caption_attribution_description: English: Andrias davidianus, Cryptobranchidae, Chinese Giant Salamander; Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany. Deutsch: Andrias davidianus, Cryptobranchidae, Chinesischer Riesensalamander; Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Deutschland.
context_page_description: The Chinese giant salamander is one of the largest salamanders and one of the largest amphibians in the world. It is fully aquatic and is endemic to rocky mountain streams and lakes in the Yangtze river basin of central China. Either it or a close relative has been introduced to Kyoto Prefecture in Japan and to Taiwan. It is considered critically endangered in the wild due to habitat loss, pollution, and overcollection, as it is considered a delicacy and used in traditional Chinese medicine. On farms in central China, it is extensively farmed and sometimes bred, although many of the salamanders on the farms are caught in the wild. It has been listed as one of the top-10 "focal species" in 2008 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered project. The Chinese giant salamander is considered to be a "living fossil". Although protected under Chinese law and CITES Appendix I, the wild population has declined by more than an estimated 80% since the 1950s.
context_section_description: Both sexes maintain a territory, averaging 40 m² (430 sq ft) for males and 30 m² (320 sq ft) for females. The reproductive cycle is initiated when the water temperature reaches 20 °C (68 °F) and mating occurs between July and September. The female lays 400–500 eggs in an underwater breeding cavity, which is guarded by the male until the eggs hatch after 50–60 days. When laid, the eggs measure 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) in diameter, but they increase to about double that size by absorbing water. When hatching, the larvae are about 3 cm (1.2 in) long and external gills remain until a length of about 20 cm (8 in) at an age of 3 years. Maturity is reached at an age of 5 to 6 years and a length of 40–50 cm (16–20 in). The maximum age reached by Chinese giant salamanders is unknown, but it is at least 60 years based on captive individuals. Undocumented claims have been made of 200-year-old Chinese giant salamanders, but these are considered unreliable.
caption: A 30-year-old animal in a German zoo
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