Andrias
Encyclopedia
Andrias is a genus of giant salamander
s. It includes the largest salamander
s in the world, with A. japonicus reaching a length of 1.44 m (4 ft 9 in), and A. davidianus reaching 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in). The last species, A. scheuchzeri, is only known from fossil
s, although some consider it and A. davidianus to be synonyms.
Giant salamander
The hellbender and Asian giant salamanders are aquatic amphibians found in brooks and ponds in the United States, China, and Japan. They are the largest living amphibians known today...
s. It includes the largest salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
s in the world, with A. japonicus reaching a length of 1.44 m (4 ft 9 in), and A. davidianus reaching 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in). The last species, A. scheuchzeri, is only known from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s, although some consider it and A. davidianus to be synonyms.
Species
- Japanese giant salamanderJapanese giant salamanderThe Japanese giant salamander is endemic to Japan, where it is known as , literally meaning "giant pepper fish". With a length of up to almost 1.5 meters , it is the second largest salamander in the world, only being surpassed by the very similar and closely related Chinese giant salamander The...
(Andrias japonicus). - Chinese giant salamanderChinese giant salamanderThe Chinese giant salamander is the largest salamander in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm , although it rarely – if ever – reaches that size today...
(Andrias davidianus). - †ExtinctionIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
Andrias scheuchzeriAndrias scheuchzeriAndrias scheuchzeri is an extinct species of giant salamander, which only is known from fossils. It lived from the oligocene to the pliocene. It and the extant A...
.