Science Enrichment: Endangered Animal Report: Andrias davidianus Research in detail an animal whose survival is under threat.

Using library references such as encyclopedias, National Geographic magazine and wildlife books, determine all the factors, biotic and abiotic, that affect the survival of your chosen animal.

Animal Data Common Name: Chinese Giant Salamander Scientific Name: Andrias davidianus Habitat(s): Large hill streams, usually in forested areas, more specifically 1001500m above the sea level in the mountain stream tributaries of the Pearl, Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Most are from central, south-western and southern China, though population has decreased drastically in these areas. Size: 1m in adulthood; longest recorded is 1.8m Diet: Primarily feeds on fish and crustaceans. However, diet may include insect larvae, anurans (frogs and toads) and their young, molluscs, aquatic reptiles and smaller mammals. May sometimes eat their own shed skin and eggs, displaying cannibalism. Status: Critically Endangered on ICUN Red List due to the drastic 80% population decrease.

Andrias davidianus, taken from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/LAR_yvcuWRs/TWfRQpd7O5I/AAAAAAAAA7U/bAusOc8U2SU/s1600/ChineseGiantSalama nder.jpg

Biotic Factors of Andrias davidianus

The availability of prey for the Chinese Giant Salamander is a biotic factor. The Chinese Giant Salamander requires consumption of food to gain energy for daily processes such as development (growing) and metabolism, which will result in the eventual reproduction cycle of the organism. This is the most significant biotic factor as energy is the basis of the organisms living functions. The decrease in availability in prey may also lead to the organism resorting to cannibalism as a consequence of the lack of prey. The population of Andrias davidianus is also another biotic factor. Too high a population can result in competition amongst the species. Competition will result in the reduction of the population of species, which may cause extinction due to the existence of predators as well. However, with the Chinese Giant Salamanders size, it has few or no predators at all, thus may multiply faster than most other organisms in the ecosystem. Another significant consequence of a too high population of the Chinese Giant Salamander is that the organism may feed on its own/mates eggs due to its instincts (which makes them think that eating their own eggs is protecting them or relieving them of pain), very much similar to hamsters in behaviour. Finally, the amount of human interference is a biotic factor. Chinese Giant Salamanders are popularly known as ingredients for traditional Chinese medicines as well as being fine and costly Chinese delicacies, which lead to more humans catching and killing wild Andrias davidianus for money. Some even catch them for trading. What makes this worse is that Chinese Giant Salamanders can be easily spotted due to their size and hide in rock crevasses which can easily be removed. Humans come in increasing numbers as the news of Chinese Giant Salamanders spread around, thus this causes increased poaching and killing of Chinese Giant Salamanders, ultimately drastically decreasing its population. Abiotic Factors The habitat of the Andrias davidanus is an abiotic factor. Despite being amphibians, Giant Chinese Salamanders are permanently water creatures and can only survive in land for a short period of time. Destruction of streams would mean that the Giant Chinese Salamanders do not have a place with suitable conditions to live in anymore. Much of this is due to construction of dams, whereby the streams flow is stopped and converted into still, standing water or dry land. The pH level of the water is also important as an optimum level is required to support the Giant Chinese Salamanders as well as its prey. The change in pH level could destroy the conditions required for the Giant Chinese Salamanders to exist in the habitat as well as cause mutations if at extreme levels. Most importantly, the change in pH level of water would also bring about mutations or

death in the prey of the Chinese Giant Salamanders, which may lead to either illnesses or the lack of food for these organisms. Habitat degradation is caused by the discharge of pollution into such streams by factories and mines, which is a big problem in China due to the massive population as well as rapid industrialisation. Deforestation causes soil erosion, seeps into water. Such pollution can disrupt the balance of nutrients of the water, which reduces water quality and making it difficult for these animals to obtain enough oxygen through their moist skin. The presence of sunlight indirectly affects the salamanders. The salamanders depend on water plants and planktons to ensure their survival as most of their preys are primary consumers (e.g. crustaceans), which means they rely on producers such as planktons and plants to survive. The water plants also produce oxygen, which salamanders take in through the process of respiration. Oxygen is a vital component of every organisms survival, along with water and food. Pollution discharged into streams may cause eutrophication as pollutants speed up the growth of algae, which block out sunlight from reaching planktons and water plants, thus disenabling the function of photosynthesis and depleting oxygen levels in the sea. These will cause the population of not just Chinese Giant Salamanders, but many other organisms in the habitat to decrease drastically, ultimately may cause the permanent destruction of the ecosystem. Conservation Efforts The main reason why Chinese Giant Salamanders are endangered is due to the fact that Chinese of the past hunted them for they were prized and valued. Due to their extensive medical uses and delicacy purposes, Chinese Giant Salamander meat can sell for around US$100/kg, coupled with the ease of capturing one, poaching these animals have become an easy yet effective way to earn money. As these species occur near most nature reserves in China, these nature reserves have made conservation efforts to prevent poaching and protect the critically endangered species. Examples include Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander Nature Reserve. However, such Nature Reserves face the problems of shortage of funds, thus are unable to help these animals to a large extent. Captive breeding is carried out more often for Giant Chinese Salamanders, thus reducing the strain on these organisms. Howe ver, it is unclear how they are reared and are mostly only used to meet market demands.

Sources: http://www.giant-salamander.com/ http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/1272/0 http://www.edgeofexistence.org/amphibians/species_info.php?id=547 http://www.globalspecies.org/ntaxa/845017