[4] It is fully aquatic, and is endemic to rocky mountain streams and lakes in the Yangtze river basin of central China.

[10] One of these clades was identified in 2019 as Andrias sligoi, a species described in 1924 by Edward George Boulenger and later synonymized with A. davidianus, with the study supporting its revival as a distinct taxon.

Another then-undescribed species was also identified that formerly inhabited rivers originating from the Huangshan mountains in eastern China; this was described as Andrias cheni in 2023.

[17] It can reach up to 50 kg (110 lb) in weight and 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in length, making it the second-largest amphibian species,[4][8] after the South China giant salamander (Andrias sligoi).

[20] Some of these vocalizations bear a striking resemblance to the crying of a young human child, and as such, it is known in the Chinese language as the "infant fish" (娃娃鱼 / 鲵 - Wáwáyú/ ní).

They start by moving to their prey very slowly, then once close enough to them the Chinese giant salamander abruptly gapes its mouth open.

[24] Chinese giant salamanders esophaguses are made up of four different layers, one of which being a strong muscular tissue used to help move food through to the stomach.

The ciliated structure and flexibility of the Chinese giant salamander's esophagus is hypothesized to be the reason why it is capable of swallowing such large foods.

[4] They have a variety of different courtship displays including knocking bellies, leaning side-to-side, riding, mouth-to-mouth posturing, chasing, rolling over, inviting, and cohabiting.

[6] The maximum age reached by Chinese giant salamanders is unknown, but it is at least 60 years based on captive individuals.

[1] Their range spans the area from Qinghai east to Jiangsu and south to Sichuan, Guangxi, and Guangdong; notably in the basins of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl Rivers.

[6] A 2024 genetic study confirmed that in spite of the recent taxonomic changes within the genus, the Chinese Andrias species introduced to Japan and hybridizing with A. japonicus is the "true" A. davidianus (the Yangtze River clade, or lineage B), although at least one genetically pure individual of the captive-only lineage U1 was also detected in the wild.

[5] The Chinese giant salamander is entirely aquatic and lives in rocky hill streams and lakes with clear water.

[4] There is an isolated population at an altitude of 4,200 m (13,800 ft) in Qinghai (Tibetan Plateau), but its taxonomic position is uncertain and the site likely does not support giant salamanders anymore due to pollution.

[35] This is partially explained by the fact that the industry is relatively new, but some farms have also struggled to produce second-generation captive-bred offspring.

[7] Registrations showed that 2.6 million Chinese giant salamanders were kept in farms in 2011 in Shaanxi alone, far surpassing the entire countrywide wild population estimated at less than 50,000 individuals.

[7] The giant salamander farming mainly supplies the food market,[16] but whether this can be achieved to an extent where the pressure on the wild populations is reduced is doubtful.

[35][7] The vast majority of the farmed Chinese giant salamanders, almost 80% based on a study published in 2018, are of Yellow River origin (the so-called haplotype B), although those from other regions also occur.

Farms have generally not considered this issue when releasing giant salamanders and Yellow River animals now dominate in some regions outside their original range, further endangering the native types.

[10] Additionally, release of untreated wastewater from farms may spread diseases to wild Chinese giant salamanders.

According to a recent study, 90% of the Chinese giant salamanders' habitat was destroyed by the year 2000,[15] and there are many human-related causes of such massive destruction.

The construction of dams greatly disturbs their habitat by either causing these streams to dry up or to stand still, thus making it uninhabitable by the salamanders.

[15] The reduced water quality makes it much more difficult for the salamanders to absorb oxygen through their skin and can often bring death to those within the species.

[27] The salamanders reside primarily in very cold underwater cavities and follow a specific nesting requirement, which means that they will only reproduce and care for their eggs in areas such as these, so changes in temperature are incredibly detrimental to their health and well-being as well as to their perpetuation as a species.

Although habitat destruction is certainly not assisting in the perpetuation of the species, it is certainly not the biggest obstacle that the Chinese giant salamander faces in its quest to avoid extinction.

[6] One of the main reasons that the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus, has been placed on the critically endangered list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature is overhunting.

The domestic demand for salamander meat and body parts greatly exceeds what can sustainably be harvested from the wild.

China's penalty for illegally hunting these creatures is very low and only comes to 50 yuan, or about US$6, which is less than one hundred times the black-market price.

This hunting tool is made with a combination of bamboo and sharp hooks baited with frogs or smaller fish.

[47] The study also brought up worries that commercial farms and conservation programs were crossbreeding what they described as five distinct species of Chinese giant salamanders.