Study identifies 9 species of critically endangered Chinese salamander

The latest cutting-edge research has confirmed that there are nine different species of the critically endangered Chinese giant salamander.

Published recently in the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, the research led by the conservation charity that runs London Zoo has shone new light on the ancient animal.

A team from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), an international conservation charity driven by science, working with partners in China, used genetic data to study the world's largest amphibian, once thought to be a single species found across central and southern China.

Chinese giant salamanders can grow up to 1.8 meters long. Their loose, baggy skin helps them absorb oxygen from the water, while tiny sensors across their bodies detect vibrations from worms, crustaceans, small fish, and frogs, compensating for their poor eyesight.

"There is a high likelihood that Chinese giant salamanders face extinction in the wild, and it is extremely important to work collaboratively to prevent extinction being the fate of these ancient animals," said Ben Tapley, curator of reptiles and amphibians at London Zoo and one of the paper's co-authors.

"Our research shows that there are up to nine different species of Chinese giant salamander, but only four have been named by scientists, and only two have had their conservation status assessed, with both being categorized as critically endangered," Tapley added.

"Chinese giant salamanders are recognized as critically endangered. All of the species we've now identified are at high risk of disappearing forever," said Samuel Turvey, a researcher at ZSL and an author of the paper. "If we are to avoid losing the world's largest amphibians, we need to act urgently to ensure that these newly recognized species are formally recognized and legally protected."

"The possibility that Chinese giant salamanders may not be a single species has been suggested by researchers for 20 years, but by comparing levels of genetic difference seen across giant salamander populations with differences shown by other known salamander species, we can now confirm this for sure," said Turvey.

(Cover image via CFP.)