Species of the Day: Japanese Giant Salamander

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

© Sumio Okada Species of the Day: Japanese Giant Salamander The Japanese Giant Salamander, Andrias japonicus, is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. Growing to a total length of 150cm, this is the second largest amphibian in the world, surpassed only by its close relative the Chinese Giant Salamander, Andrias davidianus. Endemic to Japan, it is found in small to large rivers in clear, cool, oxygenated water. Geographical range This species is threatened mainly by habitat loss and habitat degradation. Whilst populations www.iucnredlist.org in remote mountain forest areas are relatively stable, those in lower-lying urbanized regions www.zsl.org are highly threatened. Artificial concrete river banks prevent natural reproduction, and dams Help Save Species prevent migration and dispersal. Introductions of Chinese Giant Salamanders from the 1970s www.arkive.org further threaten the Japanese Giant Salamanders. Hybrids have been reported in several river systems, although the full extent of the problem is yet to be determined. Habitat restoration projects (e.g. dam modification and construction of artificial nest sites) have been hugely successful in bringing back urban salamander populations. Community-based conservation initiatives also give this species further hope throughout its range. The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: Species of the Day IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife is sponsored by International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Stuttgarter Beiträge Zur Naturkunde
S^5 ( © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/; www.zobodat.at Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie) Herausgeber: Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Rosenstein 1, D-70191 Stuttgart Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. Ser. B Nr. 278 175 pp., 4pls., 54figs. Stuttgart, 30. 12. 1999 Comparative osteology oi Mastodonsaurus giganteus (Jaeger, 1828) from the Middle Triassic (Lettenkeuper: Longobardian) of Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Thüringen) By Rainer R. Schoch, Stuttgart With 4 plates and 54 textfigures Abstract Mastodonsaurus giganteus, the most abundant and giant amphibian of the German Letten- keuper, is revised. The study is based on the excellently preserved and very rieh material which was excavated during road construction in 1977 near Kupferzeil, Northern Baden- Württemberg. It is shown that there exists only one diagnosable species of Mastodonsaurus, to which all Lettenkeuper material can be attributed. All finds from other horizons must be referred to as Mastodonsauridae gen. et sp. indet. because of their fragmentary Status. A sec- ond, definitely diagnostic genus of this family is Heptasaurus from the higher Middle and Upper Buntsandstein. Finally a diagnosis of the family Mastodonsauridae is provided. Ä detailed osteological description of Mastodonsaurus giganteus reveals numerous un- known or formerly inadequately understood features, yielding data on various hitherto poor- ly known regions of the skeleton. The sutures of the skull roof, which could be studied in de- tail, are significantly different from the schemes presented by previous authors. The endocra- nium and mandible are further points of particular interest. The palatoquadrate contributes a significant part to the formation of the endocranium by an extensive and complicated epi- pterygoid.
[Show full text]
Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S
Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4—An Update April 2013 Prepared by: Pam L. Fuller, Amy J. Benson, and Matthew J. Cannister U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Ecological Science Center Gainesville, Florida Prepared for: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia Cover Photos: Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix – Auburn University Giant Applesnail, Pomacea maculata – David Knott Straightedge Crayfish, Procambarus hayi – U.S. Forest Service i Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of Region 4 Introductions Since 2000 ....................................................................................... 1 Format of Species Accounts ...................................................................................................................... 2 Explanation of Maps ................................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Observation of the Breeding Behavior of the Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias Davidianus) Using a Digital Monitoring System
animals Article Observation of the Breeding Behavior of the Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) Using a Digital Monitoring System Qinghua Luo 1,2,3,* , Fang Tong 1, Yingjie Song 1,3, Han Wang 1,3, Maolin Du 4 and Hongbing Ji 2 1 Hunan Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Giant Salamander’s Resource Protection and Comprehensive Utilization, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie 427000, China; [email protected] (F.T.); [email protected] (Y.S.); [email protected] (H.W.) 2 School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; [email protected] 3 Key Laboratory of Hunan Forest Products and Chemical Industry Engineering, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie 427000, China 4 Zhangjiajie Zhuyuan Biological Technology of Chinese Giant Salamander Co. Ltd., Zhangjiajie 427000, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-159-0740-8196; Fax: +86-0744-8231-386 Received: 4 August 2018; Accepted: 15 September 2018; Published: 25 September 2018 Simple Summary: Behavioral research on wild Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) is in its infancy because A. davidianus inhabit underground river dens that are difficult to access. In order to ascertain the types of reproductive behavior exhibited by A. davidianus, this paper monitored their reproductive activity using a digital monitoring system in a simulated natural habitat. The survey uncovered reproductive behavior such as sand-pushing, showering, courtship, oviposition, and parental care. We also recorded the parental care time allocation for the first time. This study provides a scientific basis for the method optimization for the ecological reproduction of A. davidianus and the conservation of its wild population.
[Show full text]
Functional Morphology of Stereospondyl Amphibian Skulls
Functional Morphology of Stereospondyl Amphibian Skulls Samantha Clare Penrice Doctor of Philosophy School of Life Sciences College of Science July 2018 Functional morphology of stereospondyl amphibian skulls Stereospondyls were the most diverse clade of early tetrapods, spanning 190 million years, with over 250 species belonging to eight taxonomic groups. They had a range of morphotypes and have been found on every continent. Stereospondyl phylogeny is widely contested and repeatedly examined but despite these studies, we are still left with the question, why were they so successful and why did they die out? A group-wide analysis of functional morphology, informing us about their palaeobiology, was lacking for this group and was carried out in order to address the questions of their success and demise. Based on an original photograph collection, size independent skull morphometrics were used, in conjunction with analyses of the fossil record and comparative anatomy, to provide a synthesis of the functional morphology of stereospondyl amphibians. Stereospondyls originated in the Carboniferous and most taxonomic groups were extinct at the end of the Triassic. The early Triassic had exceptionally high numbers of short- lived genera, in habitats that were mostly arid but apparently experienced occasional monsoon rains. Genera turnover slowed and diversity was stable in the Middle Triassic, then declined with a series of extinctions of the Late Triassic. Stereospondyls showed the pattern of ‘disaster’ taxa: rapidly diversifying following a mass extinction, spreading to a global distribution, although this high diversity was relatively short-lived. Geometric morphometrics on characteristics of the skull and palate was carried out to assess general skull morphology and identified the orbital position and skull outline to be the largest sources of skull variation.
[Show full text]
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 342–343 (2012) 64–72
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 342–343 (2012) 64–72 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Habitat tracking, range dynamics and palaeoclimatic significance of Eurasian giant salamanders (Cryptobranchidae) — indications for elevated Central Asian humidity during Cenozoic global warm periods Madelaine Böhme a,b,⁎, Davit Vasilyan b, Michael Winklhofer c a Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Germany b Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen, Department for Geoscience, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany c Department of Earth- and Environmental Science, Ludwig-Maximillians-University Munich, Theresienstr. 41, 80333 Munich, Germany article info abstract Article history: Environmental fluctuations are a driving force in vertebrate evolution, but cryptobranchids (giant Received 17 December 2010 salamanders) show little morphologic change since the Jurassic. Here we analyze their fossil distribution in Received in revised form 23 April 2012 the Cenozoic of Eurasia and show that morphologic stasis is also maintained by stable environments, making Accepted 26 April 2012 giant salamanders an ideal proxy-group for environmental and palaeoclimatic studies. The climate space of Available online 4 May 2012 recent and fossil cryptobranchids is best characterized by high humidity with mean annual precipitation values over 900 mm. The recorded patchiness of their fossil record can be explained by habitat tracking Keywords: Giant salamanders and/or range expansion from higher altitudes into lowland settings during humid periods with increased Environmental stasis basinal relief. In Central Asia cryptobranchids are recorded from five intervals, four of them are global Palaeoprecipitation warm periods: Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, Late Oligocene warming, Miocene Climate Optimum, Central Asia and Mio-Pliocene transition.
[Show full text]
The Giant Salamanders (Cryptobranchidae): Part B
Copyright: © This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial– NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License, which permits conditional use for non-commercial and education purposes, provided the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 5(4): 30-50. original author and source are credited, and prohibits the deposition of material from www.redlist-arc.org, including PDFs, images, or text onto other websites without permission of the International Chapter at www.redlist-arc.org. The giant salamanders (Cryptobranchidae): Part B. Biogeography, ecology and reproduction 1Robert K Browne, 2Hong Li, 3Zhenghuan Wang, 4Sumio Okada, 5Paul Hime, 6Amy McMillan, 7Minyao Wu, 8Raul Diaz, 9Dale McGinnity, 10Jeffrey T. Briggler 1Sustainability America, Sarteneja, Belize. 2Polytechnic Institute of New York University, NYC, USA. 3School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China. 4Laboratory of Biology, Department of Regional Environment, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8551, Japan. 5Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Department of Biology, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA. 6SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, New York 14222, USA. 7Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, Shaanxi Province, Peoples Republic of China. 8La Sierra University, Department of Biology, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92515, USA 9Nashville Zoo, Nashville, Tennessee 37189, USA. 10Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri 65109, USA. Abstract - The Chinese (Andrias davidianus) and Japanese (A. japonicus) giant salamanders far exceed any other living amphibians in size, with the North American giant salamander (Hellbender; Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) also being one of the world’s largest amphibians. The sustainable management of cryptobranchids requires knowledge of cryptobranchid biogeography, ecology and reproduction in concert with other scientific fields.
[Show full text]
Modes of Ventilation in Early Tetrapods: Costal Aspiration As a Key Feature of Amniotes
Modes of ventilation in early tetrapods: Costal aspiration as a key feature of amniotes CHRISTINE M. JANIS and JULIA C. KELLER Janis, C.M. & Keller, J.C. 2001. Modes of ventilation in early tetrapods: Costal aspira- tion as a key feature of amniotes. -Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 46, 2, 137-170. The key difference between amniotes (reptiles, birds and mammals) and anamniotes (amphibians in the broadest sense of the word) is usually considered to be the amniotic egg, or a skin impermeable to water. We propose that the change in the mode of lung ven- tilation from buccal pumping to costal (rib-based) ventilation was equally, if not more important, in the evolution of tetrapod independence from the water. Costal ventilation would enable superior loss of carbon dioxide via the lungs: only then could cutaneous respiration be abandoned and the skin made impermeable to water. Additionally efficient carbon dioxide loss might be essential for the greater level of activity of amniotes. We ex- amine aspects of the morphology of the heads, necks and ribs that correlate with the mode of ventilation. Anamniotes, living and fossil, have relatively broad heads and short necks, correlating with buccal pumping, and have immobile ribs. In contrast, amniotes have narrower, deeper heads, may have longer necks, and have mobile ribs, in correlation with costal ventilation. The stem amniote Diadectes is more like true amniotes in most respects, and we propose that the changes in the mode of ventilation occurred in a step- wise fashion among the stem amniotes. We also argue that the change in ventilatory mode in amniotes related to changes in the postural role of the epaxial muscles, and can be correlated with the evolution of herbivory.
[Show full text]
Andrias Scheuchzeri (Caudata: Cryptobranchidae) Aus Der Obermiozänen (MN7/8) Fundstelle Mataschen/Steiermark
Joannea Geol. Paläont. 5: 257–268 (2004) Andrias scheuchzeri (Caudata: Cryptobranchidae) aus der obermiozänen (MN7/8) Fundstelle Mataschen/Steiermark Andrias scheuchzeri (Caudata: Cryptobranchidae) from the Upper Miocene (MN7/8) locality Mataschen/Styria Petra Maria TEMPFER 1 Tafel Zusammenfassung: Andrias scheuchzeri, ein Vertreter der heute in Europa nicht mehr vorkommenden Riesensalamander (Cryptobranchidae), konnte für die obermiozäne (oberste MN7/8) Fundstelle Mataschen in der Steiermark nachgewiesen werden. Es wurden ein Oberkiefer und gut erhaltene Rumpfwirbel geborgen. Neben den ober- miozänen Fundstellen Brunn-Vösendorf/NÖ und Götzendorf/Leitha/NÖ ist dies der dritte Fund eines Riesensalamanders in Österreich. Aus paläoökologischer Sicht dürften sich die fossilen Riesensalamander in ihren Habitatpräferenzen von den rezenten Vertretern der Gattung unterschieden haben. Ziehen letztere klare Bergflüsse als Lebensraum vor, so lebte A. scheuchzeri im Ober-Miozän Österreichs auch an größeren ruhenden Ge- wässern. Sauerstoffreiche Bergbäche wurden wahrscheinlich nur zum Laichen aufge- sucht. Klimatische Voraussetzung waren auch damals jedenfalls frostfreie Winter. Abstract: Andrias scheuchzeri (Cryptobranchidae), a Giant Salamander, which closest relatives do not occur in Europe nowadays, is confirmed for the Upper Miocene (upper- most MN7/8) locality Mataschen/Styria. One maxillary and well preserved vertebrae were excavated. Beside the Upper Miocene localities Brunn-Vösendorf/NÖ and Götzen- dorf/Leitha/NÖ, Mataschen yields the third record of a Giant salamander for Austria. From a paleoecological point of view, the fossil Giant Salamanders seem to differ in their habitat preferences from the recent living species of the genus. Whereas these 257 prefer clear mountain streams, A. scheuchzeri from the Upper Miocene of Austria even occurred in larger ponds or lakes.
[Show full text]
Morphological Changes in Amphibian and Fish Cell Lines Infected with Andrias Davidianus Ranavirus
J. Comp. Path. 2015, Vol. 152, 110e113 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect www.elsevier.com/locate/jcpa INFECTIOUS DISEASE Morphological Changes in Amphibian and Fish Cell Lines Infected with Andrias davidianus Ranavirus X. C. Gao, Z. Y. Chen, J. D. Yuan and Q. Y. Zhang State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China Summary Andrias davidianus ranavirus (ADRV) is an emerging viral pathogen that causes severe disease in Chinese giant salamanders, the largest extant amphibian in the world. A ﬁsh cell line, Epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC), and a new amphibian cell line, Chinese giant salamander spleen cell (GSSC), were infected with ADRV and observed by light and electron microscopy. The morphological changes in these two cell lines infected with ADRV were compared. Cytopathic effect (CPE) began with rounding of the cells, progressing to cell detachment in the cell monolayer, followed by cell lysis. Signiﬁcant CPE was visualized as early as 24 h post infection (hpi) in EPC cells and at 36 hpi in GSSC cells. Microscopical examination showed clear and signif- icant CPE in EPC cells, while less extensive and irregular CPE with some adherent cells remaining was observed in GSSC cells. Following ADRV infection, CPE became more extensive. Transmission electron mi- crographs showed many virus particles around cytoplasmic vacuoles, formed as crystalline arrays or scattered in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Infected cells showed alteration in nuclear morphology, with condensed and marginalized nuclear chromatin on the inner aspect of the nuclear membrane and formation of a cytoplasmic viromatrix adjacent to the nucleus in both cell lines.
[Show full text]
In Vitro Culture of Skin Cells from Biopsies from the Critically
Copyright: © 2013 Strauß et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License, which permits unrestricted use for non-commer- Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5(4): 51–63. cial and education purposes only provided the original author and source are credited. In vitro culture of skin cells from biopsies from the Critically Endangered Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus (Blanchard, 1871) (Amphibia, Caudata, Cryptobranchidae) 1Sarah Strauß, 2,3,5Thomas Ziegler, 1Christina Allmeling, 1Kerstin Reimers, 2Natalie Frank-Klein, 4Robert Seuntjens, and 4Peter M. Vogt 1Ambystoma Mexicanum Bioregeneration Center, Department of Plastic, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neu- berg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, GERMANY 2Cologne Zoo, Riehler Straße 173, 50735 Köln, GERMANY 3Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, GERMANY 4Berlin Zoo, Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin, GERMANY Abstract.—We established a primary skin cell culture of the Critically Endangered Chinese Giant Salamander, Andrias davidianus, from small biopsies using minimal invasive methodologies. Bi- opsies were taken from three animals simultaneously with assessment of two biopsy sampling techniques using samples from the tail tip. Cell culture was performed in a wet chamber at room temperature. Several culture media and supplementations were tested as well as culture contain- ers and surface coatings. The handling of A. davidianus in a landing net, without transfer out of the tank, allowed easier biopsy withdrawal. Best outgrowth of cells from explants was achieved in 60% DMEM/F12 medium with supplementation. Cells started to grow out as monolayer within the first 12 hours, and after three weeks formed pigmented multilayers, then died after 10 weeks.
[Show full text]
Andrias Davidianus
Conservation Status of Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) Subcontract No. 09-027 Dai Qiang1, Wang Yuezhao1, Liang Gang2 （1. Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2. College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University） Translated by Wang Yi (College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University) Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Contents I Biological Characters ................................................................................................................ 1 II Status of Wild Andrias davidianus ............................................................................................ 2 1 Distribution shrinking and fragmented ............................................................................. 2 2 Serious decreasing of wild population .............................................................................. 4 3 River pollution and ground habitat loss ............................................................................ 6 4. Poaching is rampant driven by the huge economic benefits ............................................. 8 5. The populations of underground river present the metapopulation characteristics, the communication among populations is reduced, and the extinction risk is increased .............. 10 III. Protection Management Status ............................................................................................ 13 1. Current Andrias davidianus Nature Reserves Distribution and Management Status in China ......................................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Development of the Chinese Giant Salamander Andrias Davidianus Farming Industry in Shaanxi Province, China: Conservation Threats and Opportunities
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by UCL Discovery Development of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus farming industry in Shaanxi Province, China: conservation threats and opportunities A NDREW A. CUNNINGHAM,SAMUEL T. TURVEY,FENG Z HOU H ELEN M. R. MEREDITH,WEI G UAN,XINGLIAN L IU,CHANGMING S UN Z HONGQIAN W ANG and M INYAO W U Abstract The Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidia- This paper contains supplementary material that can be nus is endemic to China and is Critically Endangered, lar- found online at http://journals.cambridge.org gely because of overexploitation for food. This species is an expensive delicacy in China, and a rapidly growing in- dustry to farm the species has developed throughout much of the country, centred on the Qinling Mountain re- Introduction gion of Shaanxi Province. During a workshop on Chinese giant salamander conservation, which involved a he Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus, the range of stakeholders from across China, it became clear Tlargest amphibian, is categorized as Critically that the conservation community knew little about the sala- Endangered on the IUCN Red List (IUCN, ) and has mander farming industry and whether it posed actual or po- been listed in Appendix I of CITES since (CITES, tential threats or opportunities for conservation of the ). In it was designated a State protected species Chinese giant salamander. We therefore conducted a series in China. The Chinese giant salamander is one of only of investigations to understand the industry better. Our re- three extant species of cryptobranchid salamanders (the sults indicate that although farming of Chinese giant sala- others being the Japanese giant salamander Andrias japoni- manders has the potential to be a positive development cus and the hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), which .
[Show full text]