Andrias


Andrias is a genus of giant salamanders. It includes the largest salamanders in the world, with A. japonicus reaching a length of, and A. sligoi reaching. While extant species are only known from East Asia, several extinct species in the genus are known from fossils collected in Europe and North America, indicating that the genus formerly had a much wider range. One of these, the German A. scheuchzeri, is sometimes considered synonymous with A. davidianus.

Taxonomy

The generic name derives from Ancient Greek ἀνδριάς, "statue." The former name was Megalobatrachus, from Ancient Greek meaning "giant frog."

Species

Extant

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. A. sligoi, which was formerly synonymized with A. davidianus, was revived in 2019 for one of these populations.

Extinct