Can one own A. japonicus?

[sam]

Might be a stupid question but I was curious to know if an individual could own Andrias japonicus? If so, what permits would be required?

Does anyone here own one? If so, can you provide photos?

Thank you.

 

[ryan]

Even if you could, you shouldn't. They are critically endangered!

A captive bred one could be better but it would be a lot of $$$, and you would need no less than a swimming pool size enclosure with an ample supply of large food.

Stick to the smaller salamanders.

 

[cameron]

According to Amphiaweb they are near threatened. I didn't think they were critically endangered. I read in books about people who keep hellbenders as pets and they have all the requirements and tanks that are huge. Why would someone want a giant salamander in the first place? They'd take too much work to take care of.

 

[john]

People want them for the same reason some fools want alligators or crocodiles, the uniqueness factor or shock factor. I remember watching some Animal Planet show where some idiot was raising alligators in a New York apartment, not only illegal but quite dangerous. A. japonicus may not be as dangerous as a gator, but they aren't safe for a pet. They're aggressive, mean-tempered, and can inflict a nasty bite.

 

[marc]

i read something like that online, someone was keeping a "taimen" isit something like that anyways and didnt have the right habitat for it about 2 days later it died and they but it out with the trash

 

[ralf]

A "taimen" (Hucho taimen) is not a salamander but a rather large salmonid fish in some rivers in Eurasia/Northern Asia.

 

[alex]

and it is also i believe a snake, and could be a misprint for caimen
either of the three should not have even been entered in the pet trade in the first place.

 

[dane]

a caiman is actualy a crocodilian

 

[ryan]

I was just about to come back to this thread and say the same thing but it looks like you beat me to is Dane.

 

[kaysie]

Nothing beats the 17 king cobras (and various other animals) that were confiscated from a guy in Michigan. They were in such bad shape that 1 died on the way to my friend's house (who was contacted by the state to 'take care of them'). This trip takes 1.5 hours. The animal was so ill that it didn't survive the trip.

The rest were triaged and shipped off to appropriate venues.

There are 'good pets' and there are 'bad pets'. I have friends who run a crocodilian sanctuary, who rescue animals from people who thought it would be 'cool' to get one, keep it in the basement, and feed it hot dogs. They currently have 10.

 

[joonas]

It is different species, but there is Andrias davidianus for sale in Sweden. See http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/8/79795.html. That was some time ago, but same animal is for sale again as I write this message.

Anyway I think that even one could buy such an animal, one should not. If they are kept in aquariums, they should be in zoos and such where they are part of well planned reproduction program. And for everyone to see. That way they are in much better "use". IMHO.

 

[sam]

Thanks for the replies.. but I was a bit disappointed to see it went off topic quite quickly.

I am one of the "fools" who owns American Alligators, among other crocodilians and large reptiles including, but not limited to Monitors, Snakes, Skinks and large Turtles/Tortoises. I have absolutely no interest in the "shock factor" since I do not invite people over to gawk at my animals like a zoo. I possess for various reasons; personal education, captive breeding efforts, etc.

I have done quite a bit of reading on A.Jap. and will pursue the permits needed in the state to obtain them for personal reasons. Thanks again for the replies, but next time how about we keep it to the original question instead of babbling off on other subjects and calling people "fools" for having an interest in, and possessing, alternative types of animals.

 

[ryan]

Sam if you do get a giant sal, good luck because I think it will be probably extreamly difficult to take care of. I would recommend buying a young CB A. jap because it could be easier for a certin amount of time.

 

[jennifer]

Sam, another issue to consider is temperature. Being in Florida, you will probably need an appropriately-sized chiller to keep the large body of water cold enough (with the concomitant risk of what may happen during a prolonged power failure or chiller breakdown). Before you persue a permit, please find out whether you can actually provide the temperature required long-term. Also consider that the animal may live 50+ years, so you would need to make careful plans for what would happen to it when you die. Your crocilians have similar lifespans, but there are plenty of people in FL with the expertise to know what to do with them if something happens to you; this is not the case for Andrias.

I would also say that the precarious status of this animal in the wild makes private ownership very questionable IMO. Even if your animal is perfectly cared for and lives out its full 50+ years, it has been removed from the breeding pool in its natural habitat.