AmphibiaChina 中国两栖类.

Description
Anji Salamander most assembles Chinese Salamander. It is a large salamander species with the length of adults (including tail) reaching 153 to 166 mm. Costal groove 13; tail length is almost the same as body length; when adpressed, the forelimbs and hindlimbs meet, with overlap of 2-3 costal grooves. Metatarsal tubercles round and distinctive. Tail vertebra over 25.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: China

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Only known from the type locality - Longwangshan Nature Reserve, Anji County, Zhejiang Province, China (30°23.68'N, 119°27.32'E). Anji Salamander only occur in a marshy meadow of the size about 7000 square meters, locating at the top of Mount Longwangshan. The area is surrounded by pine trees and bamboos, as well as other bush trees. The breeding sites are the nine ponds located in the area. Each pond has the size less than 1 square meter and the depth of the water is about 50 cm.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The breeding season is from end of November to middle March. Each female deposits 140-174 eggs. It takes three year for the hatchlings to reach sexual maturity. The only time which the adults can be found is during the breeding season. From 1992 to 1998, Gu et al. (1999) surveyed the number of breeding females by counting the number of egg sacs every year after the breeding season in April. On average, the breeding females are around 261 individuals.

Trends and Threats
At present time, the population size is stable. However, because of the natural rarity and restricted distribution, the species is very vulnerable to environmental change. The recent development of eco-tourism may become a vital threat to the survival of this species.

References

Gu, H. (1991). ''A new species of Hynobius-Hynobius amjiensis.'' Animal Science Research. Qian, E. Zhao and K Zhao, eds., China Forestry Press, Beijing, 39-43.

Gu, H., Mao, X., Wang, J., Du, Z. and Lou, X. (1999). ''Research on population size and dynamics of Hynobius amjiensis.'' Sichuan Journal of Zoology, 18, 104-106.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 1999 Hynobius amjiensis: Anji Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3879> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 22, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 22 Nov 2024.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.