Giant Salamander

As I always say, I dislike reptiles to a great extent. How can Salamanders be an exception? They look massive, thick, scary, creepy and what not!

As per wikipedia,

The hellbender and Asian giant salamanders (family Cryptobranchidae) are aquatic amphibians found in brooks and ponds in the United States, China, and Japan. They are the largest living amphibians known today. The Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), for example, reaches up to 1.44 metres (4.7 ft), feeds on fish and crustaceans, and has been known to live for more than 50 years in captivity. The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) can reach a length of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft).

The Japanese giant salamander is a large amphibian that typically lives in rivers and streams. Like other amphibians, Japanese giant salamanders are capable of living on both land and in water. Japanese giant salamanders look a lot like smaller versions of the amphibian found in North America, though their diet varies more.

The Japanese giant salamander is a threatened creature that is also sometimes called the giant Japanese pepper fish despite not being a fish at all. The main reason for the limited amounts of these salamanders is pollution, though erosion also plays a part. After laying their eggs, they take anywhere from 12 to 15 weeks to incubate. The salamanders lay their eggs near river areas where they make their home. Female giant Japanese salamanders lay as many as 500 eggs. The baby salamanders are usually about 3 centimeters long, hardly an indicator of the huge size they later attain.

I will stop with these facts and lets have a look at some of the pictures of this creature

Ugly Animals - Giant Salamanders