London Zoo welcomes endangered salamanders
- Published
London zoo welcomes world’s largest amphibian
They're the world's largest amphibians, they are critically endangered and they've now got a new home at London Zoo.
They are: Chinese Giant Salamanders!
They've been taken in by the zoo after the UK border force stopped an attempt to smuggle them into the country.
Amphibians need to live near water to survive but can spend time on land too. These salamanders are very rare and have been described as a living fossil. They are virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs.
One of the animals - which is said to be surprisingly charismatic, for a salamander - will now go on display to the public as the zoo hopes to encourage breeding to boost salamander numbers.
The amphibian can grow up to 1.8m long
The first salamander on display is called Professor 'Lew', which means 'dragon keepers' in Chinese.
Professor Lew is about four-years-old, and currently measures 30cm - which is the size of a large ruler. But the salamander could eventually grow up to 1.8 metres in length and weigh 8 stone! Which is the same size as a person!
London Zoo's Curator of Amphibians, Ben Tapley, says: "Chinese giant salamanders may not be everyone's idea of beautiful - I've heard them described as a giant brown blob with eyes - but Professor Lew's crinkly purple tail and inquisitive eyes have already made the newcomer a big hit with all our keepers, who have been finding any excuse to visit the Reptile House."
The salamanders have been a part of Chinese culture for thousands of years, the species is thought to have inspired Chinese dragon legends and even the iconic yin-yang design.
The animal is facing the threat of extinction because it is popular to eat in China and they are also kept as exotic pets.
They've remained largely unchanged for 179 million years and are pretty much the same as when they lived during the time of the dinosaurs.
Genetically the Chinese Giant Salamander is completely unique and not like any other animal on the planet.
- Published5 September 2016
- Published28 March 2019
