The Chinese giant salamander gains ground. Researchers from Kyoto University confirmed the discovery of four new specimens of the largest living amphibian in the world, in danger of extinction, according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an exhaustive inventory on the status global of animals, fungi and plants.
The discovery occurred while a team of researchers from Kyoto University (Japan) analyzed tissue samples from 73 salamanders from fields, aquariums or zoos in Japan that they believed were descended from Chinese salamanders, to study their hybridization.
Of the four Chinese giant salamanders identified, one was at the Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo and another at the Asa Zoological Park in Hiroshima, and Kanto believes there could be more specimens that have not been identified as such in other centers in Japan.
The researchers celebrate their discovery and believe that it is “an opportunity to think about the role of invasive species”, a “very difficult problem to solve”, because its consequences can be “both positive and negative”, as they explain in a statement.
This amphibian (andrias davidianus) can measure 1.8 meters and weigh 50 kilos. Traditionally it inhabited areas in the south of that country, but its number decreased considerably due to excessive capture for sale or intensive breeding in farms, because its meat is considered a delicacy in China.
This species is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, which has led to crossbreeding with native species. However, against the odds, the team of scientists found four specimens of the original species as part of an investigation whose results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The IUCN had listed this species as “critically endangered.” In fact, today it was only found in four locations with clear, cold streams in steep, vegetated valleys.
Based on this discovery, researchers from Kyoto University intend to work on the preservation of the Chinese giant salamander and be able to practice its reproduction or cloning using stored salamander cells, as indicated to the national public broadcaster NHK.
