When biologists working in China in 1735 found a strange, metre-long fossil, they thought they had discovered a proto-human. They named it Andrias diluvii testis, “man witness to the flood,” and it became known as “Diluvian Man.” It was not until 80 years later that naturalist Georges Cuvier convinced his peers that the fossil was actually a giant salamander. Now known as Andrias davidianus, the giant Chinese salamander can grow up to two metres long and weigh almost 25 kilograms, making it the world’s largest amphibian; a slightly smaller relative lives in Japan. It is known locally as the “baby fish” for the males’ cries, which apparently sound like human babies. Like most salamanders they are elusive and relatively harmless, but the animals do possess two rows of sharp teeth that can inflict considerable damage on incautious waders.
Being gigantic, extremely slimy, incredibly rare, and dwelling in foul, dark, moist places, the giant salamander has naturally become a delicacy in China, usually being eaten illegally by tourists for exorbitant prices. In fact, most of the DNA samples used in a recent U of T study of amphibian evolution were obtained from restaurant meat. It is difficult to estimate how many are left, as the animals are extremely difficult to find, but they probably number no more than 2,000.-Zoe Cormier
