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Chinese Giant Salamanders (Andrias spp.) Fact Sheet: Reproduction & Development
Characteristics of growth and development: see Liu and Tang (1989), Table 3
Juvenile
Weight at 1 year old: 10 to 30 g (0.3 to 1 oz) (managed care) (Liu and Tang 1989)
Transition from free-swimming larva to bottom-dwelling adult (Laidler and Laidler 1996)
Rate of development influenced by water temperature and food availability
Metamorphosis
Gills degenerate at 2 to 3 years of age, as lungs develop (Cheng 1998; Heiss et al. 2013; Su et al. 2018)
Head and mouth structures change (Heiss et al. 2013)
Digestive tract develops distinct structures (Zhang et al. 2018)
Diet
Appears to shift to shrimp and crabs at about 3 to 4 years old (Zhang et al. 2018)
Longevity
Maximum lifespan not yet established
Thought to live 50 to 60 years or longer, based on longevity of similar species (Nickerson 2004; Browne et al. 2014; AnAge 2019)
At least 25 years in managed care (ZIMS 2019)
Not well documented
Mortality and Health
Survival rates
Cheng (1998) reports a hatching success rate of 30% (wild population)
Liu and Tang (1989) report a 1-year survival rate as high as 91% (managed care)
Predators
Juveniles and adults
Potentially, mountain carnivores
Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra (Zhang et al. 2017)
Red fox, Vulpes vulpes (Zheng and Wang 2010)
Siberian weasel, Mustela sibirica (Zheng and Wang 2010)
Hog badger, Arctonya collaris (Zheng and Wang 2010)
Diseases (non-comprehensive list)
Infectious diseases and bacterial infections prevalent in Chinese giant salamander aquaculture (e.g., Zhou et al. 2013; Meng et al. 2014; Cunningham et al. 2016; Z.-Y. Chen et al. 2018)
Ranaviruses are the main diseases of concern (Geng et al. 2011; Chen et al. 2013; Zhou et al. 2013; Geng et al. 2016; Z.-Y. Chen et al. 2018; Meng et al. 2018, and as noted)
First reported by Geng et al. (2011)
Infections often fatal; cause substantial losses on farms
High mortality (60 to 95%) during outbreaks on farms
Juvenile mortality higher than adult mortality
Larval mortality also high (Meng et al. 2014)
Sick individuals typically die 1 to 2 weeks after infection
Up to 5 weeks, according to Geng et al. (2016)
Symptoms (Meng et al. 2014)
Juveniles and adults (Cunningham et al. 2016)
Swelling, bleeding, ulcers, and necrosis/hemorrhaging of various tissues and organs
Also lethargy, vomiting, bloody stools, and weight loss
Larvae (Meng et al. 2014)
Lethargy
Swelling
Hemorrhaging
No widespread treatment yet available (Z.-Y. Chen et al. 2018)
Some success in some early vaccines (e.g., Z.-Y. Chen et al. 2018)
Ranaviruses reported for some wild populations (Dong et al. 2011)