Roughly the size of a small human, the Chinese giant salamander is one of the largest amphibians in the world. These blob-like beasts are sometimes called “living fossils” as they belong to a lineage stretching back 170 million years. In recent decades, however, a new phenomenon has emerged in their strange and twisting tale: hybrids. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Growing up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), Chinese giant salamanders are native to the rocky mountain streams of Central China. With flat heads, tiny eyes, and loose folds of wrinkled skin, they cut a strange figure that could be easily confused for a freckled rock or a flattened dinosaur.

They’re listed as a “critically endangered” species under the IUCN Red L

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