Bizarre Beasts Pin - Giant Salamanders

The hellbender, the Japanese giant salamander, and the Chinese giant salamander are all part of the same family (the Cryptobranchidae) and are among the largest living amphibians. The Chinese giant salamander can grow to lengths of over 1.8 meters.  This family of salamanders has a fossil record that stretches back tens of millions of years into the Mesozoic Era and they seem to have first appeared in Asia, though today the hellbender is only found in North America. While they may look soft and slimy, these animals are apex predators in their ecosystems. They eat fish, frogs, crayfish, insects, and sometimes members of their own species.