Andrias
Andrias is a genus of giant salamanders. It includes the largest salamanders in the world, with A. japonicus reaching a length of 1.44 metres (4 ft 9 in), and A. sligoi reaching 1.80 metres (5 ft 11 in). While extant species are only known from East Asia, several extinct species in the genus are known from late Oligocene and Neogene aged fossils collected in Europe and North America, indicating that the genus formerly had a much wider range.[1]
| Andrias Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Andrias japonicus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Cryptobranchidae |
| Genus: | Andrias Tschudi, 1837 |
| Type species | |
| Andrias japonicus Temminck, 1836 | |
| Species | |
|
6, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Megalobatrachus | |
Taxonomy
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek ἀνδριάς, "statue". The former name was Megalobatrachus, from Ancient Greek meaning "giant frog".
Species
Extant
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Andrias japonicus | Japanese giant salamander | Japan |
| Andrias jiangxiensis | Eastern China giant salamander | Eastern China (Jiangxi Province) | |
 | Andrias davidianus | Chinese giant salamander | China (traditionally considered widespread in the country, but likely restricted to Yangtze River basin) |
 | Andrias sligoi | South China giant salamander | Southern China (Pearl River basin) |
Based on genetic evidence, there may be more extant species in the genus. A study in 2018 found that A. davidianus sensu lato was a species complex that consisted of at least 5 different species.[2] A. sligoi, which was formerly synonymized with A. davidianus, was revived in 2019 for one of these populations, and in 2022, another of these was described as A. jiangxiensis.[3][4]
Extinct
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
†Andrias scheuchzeri | Central Europe, possibly Central Asia and Western Siberia | late Oligocene-late Pliocene | |
 |
†Andrias matthewi | Matthew's giant salamander | United States and Canada | early-middle Miocene |
References
- "Fossilworks: Andrias". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- "5 Giant Salamander Species Identified—And They're All in Danger". National Geographic News. 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
- Turvey, Samuel T.; Marr, Melissa M.; Barnes, Ian; Brace, Selina; Tapley, Benjamin; Murphy, Robert W.; Zhao, Ermi; Cunningham, Andrew A. (2019). "Historical museum collections clarify the evolutionary history of cryptic species radiation in the world's largest amphibians". Ecology and Evolution. 9 (18): 10070–10084. doi:10.1002/ece3.5257. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 6787787. PMID 31624538.
- Chai, Jing; Lu, Chen-Qi; Yi, Mu-Rong; Dai, Nian-Hua; Weng, Xiao-Dong; Di, Ming-Xiao; Peng, Yong; Tang, Yong; Shan, Qing-Hua; Wang, Kai; Liu, Huan-Zhang (2022-05-18). "Discovery of a wild, genetically pure Chinese giant salamander creates new conservation opportunities". Zoological Research. 43 (3): 469–480. doi:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.101. ISSN 2095-8137. PMC 9113980. PMID 35514224.
- AmphibiaWeb - Andrias japonicus. Accessed 2008-04-08.
- AmphibiaWeb - Andrias davidianus. Accessed 2008-04-08.
- Amphibian Species of the World 5.1. Accessed 2008-04-10.