Cute Little Salamanders
We all love salamanders and newts, right? Cute little, often brightly colored amphibions that eat bugs and worms. Sure, some have poisonous skin, but on a whole they aren't particularly menacing, right?
WRONG!
Sort of.
Introducing the Giant Salamanders:
Hellbenders
Hellbenders are the largest species of salamander living in North America. They are native to the streams and rivers of the eastern US.
They aren't exactly cute: they get up to two feet long, have grey, wrinkly skin, and beady little eyes near the tips of their snouts. Interestingly, their feet resemble dog paws more than salamander feet, and have pads to help them grip riverbeds. They also bite, but aren't particularly dangerous. They eat worms, crustaceans, and small fish and are almost completely aquatic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender
These are my favorite among the giants, because I grew up catching them up at the family farm.
And giant salamanders get even bigger....
The Chinese and Japanese Giant Salamanders are the largest salamanders alive today, each growing to a length of about 5-6 feet. They look and act similarly to the Hellbenders of the US, but are much, much larger. They also have a much more powerful bite, and can actually inflict damage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_giant_salamander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_salamander
Unfortunately, these titan salamanders are critically endangered :(
It would be a great shame to lose such incredible animals to human actions.
WRONG!
Sort of.
Introducing the Giant Salamanders:
Hellbenders
Hellbenders are the largest species of salamander living in North America. They are native to the streams and rivers of the eastern US.
They aren't exactly cute: they get up to two feet long, have grey, wrinkly skin, and beady little eyes near the tips of their snouts. Interestingly, their feet resemble dog paws more than salamander feet, and have pads to help them grip riverbeds. They also bite, but aren't particularly dangerous. They eat worms, crustaceans, and small fish and are almost completely aquatic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender
These are my favorite among the giants, because I grew up catching them up at the family farm.
And giant salamanders get even bigger....
The Chinese and Japanese Giant Salamanders are the largest salamanders alive today, each growing to a length of about 5-6 feet. They look and act similarly to the Hellbenders of the US, but are much, much larger. They also have a much more powerful bite, and can actually inflict damage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_giant_salamander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_salamander
Unfortunately, these titan salamanders are critically endangered :(
It would be a great shame to lose such incredible animals to human actions.