Animal profile

Japanese Giant Salamander

Andrias japonicus

AmphibiaCold, fast mountain rivers and streamsVulnerable

Field profile

The Japanese giant salamander grows to about 1.5 metres and lives its whole life in cold running water. Males guard nest burrows dug into riverbanks, where several females may lay in sequence. It is a protected Special Natural Monument in Japan and features in long-standing local folklore.

Published field notes

2023-05-28

Japanese Giant Salamander

A single male guards the whole nest burrow

Japanese giant salamanders breed in riverbank burrows controlled by one dominant male, known as a den-master. He admits females, fertilises the eggs of several in the same chamber, and then stays to fan and defend the clutch for months.

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