Awesome Amphibians...

[sharon]

Did anyone else see this show on Animal Planet last night??

I only saw the last part about Hellbenders. American & Japanese types. Absolutely fascinating!!! I am just so saddened that these spectacular creatures are on the verge of extinction. Yes, I'm one of those whackos who would like one as a pet, but lol, even I can see that isn't feasible! Maybe someday in the future...

On the other hand I was pretty upset at the way they handled the Japanese monster. I kept thinking there had to be a better way, like lifting the bugger up with netting and sorta rolling him in it. I'm thinking of something I saw used on one of those sea rescues..... Would that have been feasible?

And bad tempered! OMG! LMBO, the whole family was just thrilled seeing that creature! 5 ft long, 50 lbs, lol, my 4 yr old kept looking at the creature on the screen and back to the axo tanks and finally asked if mommys' salamander (I have a large tiger in another tank) was going to get that big! LOL! I imagine feeding that ill tempered thing is quite the chore!

But like I said I missed the earlier portion of the show, does anyone know if I missed something really good?

Sharon

 

[edward]

I spoke with one of the researchers that worked with that salamander last year and that giant salamander has since passed away.

I do have to say this about Andrias they are not the easiest salamander to work with as they are surprisingly strong, bad tempered and much more mobile on land than you would expect. If you asked me to roll one onto an a lift platform like for a marine mammal, you would have to find another diet supplement for the Andrias as I would not offer any of my body parts up to it.

I was not overly impressed with the show the first time it aired so I did not watch it this time it was on.

Ed

 

[TJ]

Sharon, thanks for posting that info on the show as I missed it the last time it aired in November last year, and I just found that it airs here in Japan on June 30 and July 1, which gives me time to subscribe and to prepare to record it

There was a bit of discussion before about the program at:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/7967.html

And I noticed some more discussion about it here:

http://www.talkaboutpets.com/group/rec.pets.herp/messages/284333.html

The Japanese-language Animal Planet site says the 1.5-meter, 23-kilogram giant sal that was featured on the program was 50 years old. I wonder if this was at the Asa Zoological Park in Hiroshima...?

Ed, by coincidence, I just spoke yesterday with a university prof here who described to me the unforgettable sensation he had in holding a struggling giant salamander (a young one) from behind. I've been invited to join or rather observe a giant salamander population survey in August and am very much looking forward to the opportunity. A number of them have already had microchips implanted.

 

[sharon]

Ed you are very welcome for the notice! LOL! I don't watch much TV and it was pure luck that I managed to see some of the show.

Micro chips! Really? What a lucky break to be able to participate in an outdoor observation like that!

They mentioned, briefly, on the show that the hellbenders smell bad, I wonder why/how that is?

And it died? Do they know why? I really wish they would add verbal updates to these shows that are clearly out of date.

As for the netting, lmao, after seeing those HUGE gaping jaws snapping after the professor, I would have thought the netting would almost be an imperative. I don't know about the lift platform you mentioned, but I was thinking of a restraining net, just a large square. They had already lifted him out with a circular net. How much more difficult would it have been to let him wriggle out onto some netting then toss a bit over him? If they had rolled him like a burrito, he certainly wouldn't have been able to bite anyone and they would have had the ends of the net to lift and grab at. On the other hand, the show wouldn't have been NEARLY as exciting or demonstrative of their temper.

My father lives in Fl. We are planning to drive to visit him sometime next year, I am really hoping to stop off in a couple of hellbender states just to have a look. LOL! I can never pass up a stream, creek, cattle pond, without having a look!! Drives my husband NUTS!

Sharon

 

[edward]

I had the pleasure of trying to restrain and pack up @11 Kg Andrias davidensis for shipment back to Cincinnatti a number of years ago. It was a major event. The salamanders would attack anything that got close to them, biting and hanging on like bulldogs.

I am jealous Tim, I have only seen the talk by Sumio at the last scientific cryptobranchid conference.

Hi Sharon,
These are surprisingly strong slimy salamanders with an immense jaw pressure. I was feeding the 11 Kg animals large skinned rats at work and these salamanders were capable of ripping the rat in half by jaw strength alone.
Trying to roll one up in anything like that would in my opinion be needlessly risky to both parties. Leaving it in the restraining net would probable have been the safest approach.
Apparently as I understood it the salamander died from natural causes quite a while after the show aired.

Ed

 

[jessica]

Ok I need help with net speak. Before I started with this board I hadn't been involved with a chat room since 1999. I know what LOL and OMG are, but what is LMBO and lmao? thanks

 

[stefanie]

laughing my butt/a ss off

lol

 

[jessica]

oh duh that seems so simple

thanks

 

[sharon]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Edward Kowalski (Ed) wrote on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 22:47 :</font>

"Hi Sharon,
These are surprisingly strong slimy salamanders with an immense jaw pressure. I was feeding the 11 Kg animals large skinned rats at work and these salamanders were capable of ripping the rat in half by jaw strength alone. "<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

Good Lord! Um, ow? LOL, lucky you to get to witness this. So even if they weren't endangered they would make lousy house pets..... Well, I wanted a pet catamount too... that is still a bad idea, but fun to think about! ROTFL!

I wonder why info like this isn't available on the one site that I've found? And their smell? Did you happen to notice a foul smell when you were handling/feeding those guys?

And still yet, I'd like to see one in its natural setting. I promise if I should ever be so lucky to actually find one, I won't take it home!

Sharon

 

[kaysie]

Sharon, I don't promise. Lol, just kidding. These are amazing creatures. I saw Cryptobranchus in the Detroit Zoo, I thought my boyfriend would have to drag me away. They are absolutely amazing.

 

[edward]

Well if you consider having a huge salamander stalk and attempt to attack you when you went into the enclosure then they would make poor pets.
I did not notice any unusual odors associated with these animals but we only had them out of the water as long as it took to weigh them, so my exposure may have been too brief.
I have noticed odors associated with other amphibians when they are stressed for example mantellas smell peppery to me.

Depending on the route you plan to take you would pretty much need to get up into the Appalachian Chain to have a chance to see benders. In a couple of weeks we will be at the end of their activity period and the odds of seeing one are greatly reduced.

Ed