Turns out this isn’t a fish with hands and feet, but a giant salamander. It lives in Japan and parents there warn their children that there’s a fish with hands and feet that can pull them under the water. The mouth on the one in the Animal Planet video below looks big enough to fit around a child’s head. Check it out:
This is pretty crazy, eh? Wouldn’t want to run into one of those.
Here are some facts on the Japanese giant salamander from our friends at Animal Planet:
- Japanese giant salamanders have what is called “nocturnal super senses.” They sport sensory cells on their skin to help them detect vibrations in their environment in the water.
- Although the Japanese giant salamander has no natural predators, it may be at risk of extinction in the near future because of continued hunting, over-collection, pollution and loss of habitat.
- Unlike other salamanders, Japanese giant salamanders seldom ever venture onto land. Instead, they breach their heads above the surface to obtain air.
- The Japanese giant salamander is the second largest salamander in the world, after the Chinese giant salamander. It grows to around five feet in length.
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Photos via John Federico ; Smithsonian’s National Zoo ; Smithsonian’s National Zoo
