How to Kill a Chinese Giant Salamander? A Detailed Guide to the Correct Handling Method

The Chinese giant salamander is famous for its call, which sounds like a baby crying, and it is rich in nutritional value. Currently, many places already allow artificial breeding of second-generation offspring. So, how do you kill a Chinese giant salamander?

1. How to kill a Chinese giant salamander?

Wild Chinese giant salamanders are national second-class protected animals and may not be captured, hunted, sold, or eaten, but if they are artificially bred second-generation offspring or later, they can be eaten. There are two common methods of killing them. One is scalding: put it into boiling water for about 15 minutes, take it out, scrape and wash off the mucus on the surface, then cut open the belly and remove the internal organs. The other is stunning: hit its head with the back of a knife, then cut its neck to let it bleed, scrape and wash off the mucus on the surface, then cut open the belly and remove the internal organs.

2. Breeding Methods for Chinese Giant Salamanders

1. Suitable Environment

Water temperature: The optimal growth water temperature for Chinese giant salamanders is between 16 and 22°C. In low-altitude areas, when the water temperature exceeds 26°C, Chinese giant salamanders will enter a “summer dormancy”, which limits their growth, and excessively high water temperatures may even cause death. In high-altitude areas, when the temperature is too low, the growth of Chinese giant salamanders is also affected, the growth rate slows down, and breeding profitability is affected, making it unprofitable. Therefore, sites for breeding Chinese giant salamanders are generally chosen at elevations of 500 to 800 m, in places where winter is not especially cold and summer is not especially hot.

Water quality: Chinese giant salamanders have very high requirements for water quality. Wild Chinese giant salamanders like to live in deep-mountain streams and lakes with abundant vegetation, an unpolluted environment, and far away from humans. Therefore, artificial breeding of Chinese giant salamanders is best done in mountainous areas, in small streams or mountain springs with flowing water. Of course, good water quality is a must. For example, the lower-layer water of some large and medium-sized reservoirs with good water quality, no pollution, and high dissolved oxygen content is also acceptable.

2. Reasonable Pond Construction

Chinese giant salamanders need to be bred separately according to their size, so many small ponds can be built for breeding. Breeding ponds generally use a brick-and-concrete structure. There are ponds of different sizes according to the size of the Chinese giant salamanders, and the pond walls must be smooth. Set water inlets and outlets at both ends of the pond, and connect each pond's water inlet separately and directly to the main water inlet pipe.

3. Stocking Fry

Buying fry: You can buy healthy artificially bred fry nearby. Generally choose fry of 1 liang or more, as such fry are easier to keep alive and grow quickly.

Stocking fry: Chinese giant salamanders are fierce and fond of fighting. In particular, large adult ones will bite and fight over food, and may even bite small fry to death. Therefore, they should be stocked and bred separately according to the size of the fish.

4. Feeding Management

Chinese giant salamanders are not picky eaters. For example, they eat fish, shrimp, crabs, loach, frogs, earthworms, insects, and even the internal organs of cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Moreover, Chinese giant salamanders are very tolerant of hunger and will not starve to death even if they do not eat for a long time, but if food is insufficient, they will fight and clash with one another.

5. Daily Management

Keep the water clean and fresh. It should be flowing water, unpolluted, with high dissolved oxygen content, and an appropriate water volume. Avoid too little water, which can lead to drying up, and also avoid too much water overflowing, which can allow the fish to escape. Control the water temperature, especially on hot days, and keep the water temperature no higher than 25°C. Pay attention to shading and build shade shelters to avoid strong light exposure. Prevent escape and theft. There is a lot of rain in summer, so prevent the water volume from becoming too great and overflowing, which would allow the Chinese giant salamanders to escape.

Although Chinese giant salamanders can currently be artificially bred, it is still necessary to apply to the relevant departments and obtain approval before doing so.