China's Finest

A little while ago we did a post on the japanese giant salamander, which bears the distinction of being the world's second largest salamander. We would be remiss in our duties if we didn't do a post on the world's largest salamander. Check out the chinese giant salamander. These nocturnal beasts can grow to be 6 1/2 feet long, and weigh as much as 55 pounds! Another characteristic: they have been whacked with both the amphibian and the over-sized ugly sticks, which makes for a bad combination.

Photo courtesy: www.caudata.org