The species is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Ōsanshōuo, literally meaning "giant pepper fish".
"River Monsters" programme 6 Series 3 directed by Duncan Chard, screened in UK on ITV1 14.02.2012 at 19.30 They do not have claws. Research has indicated a dispersal via In Japan, their natural habitats are threatened by dam-building. The male fertilizes the eggs externally by releasing his sperm onto them, and then guards them for at least three months, until they hatch. The largest wild specimen on record weighed 26.3 kg (58 lb) and was 136 cm (4.46 ft) long.The Japanese giant salamander can be distinguished from the Chinese giant salamander by the arrangement of When threatened, the Japanese giant salamander can excrete a strong-smelling, milky substance with an odor resembling Japanese pepper (hence its common Japanese name, giant pepper fish).
They have an elongated body, a long, broad tail and two pairs of legs that are roughly similar in size. The Japanese giant salamander reaches up to 1.44 m in length, feeds at night on fish and crustaceans, and has been known to live for more than 50 years in captivity. Ramps and staircases have been added to some dams to allow them to move upstream to areas where they spawn. (63 kilograms). It has very poor eyesight, and possesses special sensory cells covering its skin, running from head to toe, the The species frequently hybridizes with Chinese giant salamanders, which were introduced to the area. With a length of up to almost 1.5 m, it is the third-largest salamander in the world, only being surpassed by the very similar and closely related Chinese giant salamander and South China giant salamander. Japanese giant salamanders are widespread across rivers in southwestern Japan. Extant species in the family Cryptobranchidae are the modern-day members of a lineage that extends back millions of years; the earliest fossil records of a basal species date back to the As the fossil record for the Cryptobranchidae shows an Asian origin for the family, how these salamanders made it to the eastern US has been a point of scientific interest. Most salamanders are around 6 inches (15 centimeters) long or less, according to the San Diego Zoo. There are two giant salamander floats: a dark male and a red female.As of 2017, a picture book entitled "Zakihan" was also published in both Japanese and English wherein the main character is a "hanzaki" called "Zakihan". The Japanese giant salamander is a species of salamander in the family Cryptobranchidae. The largest is the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), which can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) from head to tail and can weigh up to 140 lbs. The giant salamanders are called "Hanzaki" in Yubara, due to the belief that even if they are ripped in half (han) they continue to survive. With hundreds of different types of salamanders, there are many different sizes. Some of them have very small or no hind-limbs at all. They are the largest living amphibians known today.
Giant salamanders …
The Cryptobranchidae are a family of fully aquatic salamanders commonly known as the giant salamanders. Weight: On average salamanders weigh between 120 gm and 200 gm. The smallest is the Thorius arboreus, a species of pygmy salamander. Chinese giant salamanders are a somewhat mysterious, very large amphibian. Some appear quite dark, while others have lighter patches.
It feeds mainly on insects, frogs and fish.
A Japanese giant salamander lived for 52 years in captivity.The Chinese giant salamander eats aquatic insects, fish, frogs, crabs, and shrimp.During mating season, the salamanders travel upstream, where the female lays two strings of over 200 eggs each.