Husbandry, Captive Breeding, and Field Survey of Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus).

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest extant amphibian species in the world with adults capable of reaching 2 m in length. Wild populations of A. davidianus have declined dramatically during the last century, making it also one of the top threatened species globally. Fortunately, aquaculture for this species developed in China during the 1970s has been extremely successful. Many relevant commercial products of A. davidianus have been produced in recent years on account of its nutritional and medicinal values. Balancing conservation and utilization will be key to the future destiny of A. davidianus. In this chapter, we describe detailed protocols for husbandry in indoor and outdoor facilities, captive breeding under natural-imitative conditions and using artificial insemination, and surveying and monitoring A. davidianus in the field. The protocols presented here aim to make the practices of A. davidianus operative and increase public awareness of this mystical and precious species.