Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Meet one of our Japanese giant salamanders, Hiro, and Reptile Discovery Center keeper Kyle Miller in this virtual animal demo!
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People think of amphibians as delicate, but Japanese giant salamanders are very tough and resilient. Japanese giant salamanders are the second-largest salamander species in the world. They can get up to 5 feet long and weigh 55 pounds. They can even lose limbs and recover just fine, even though their limbs won’t grow back.
In the wild, Japanese giant salamanders primarily feed on fish and crustaceans, as well as smaller amphibians. There have also been records of them eating small mammals, so they are very opportunistic feeders and have a voracious appetite. If something is the right size and swims in front of them, they will go after it. They have terrible vision, so they count on their sensory organs. Their bodies are covered in tubercles that help them sense their way around and pick up on the movement of prey. They have a good sense of smell as well.
Meet one of our Japanese giant salamanders, Hiro, and Reptile Discovery Center keeper Kyle Miller in this virtual animal demo!
. . .
People think of amphibians as delicate, but Japanese giant salamanders are very tough and resilient. Japanese giant salamanders are the second-largest salamander species in the world. They can get up to 5 feet long and weigh 55 pounds. They can even lose limbs and recover just fine, even though their limbs won’t grow back.
In the wild, Japanese giant salamanders primarily feed on fish and crustaceans, as well as smaller amphibians. There have also been records of them eating small mammals, so they are very opportunistic feeders and have a voracious appetite. If something is the right size and swims in front of them, they will go after it. They have terrible vision, so they count on their sensory organs. Their bodies are covered in tubercles that help them sense their way around and pick up on the movement of prey. They have a good sense of smell as well.
