Zoo Says It's Got Earth's Longest Salamander

Oh, you know, just a normal 5-foot-2 amphibian
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Dec 20, 2015 10:03 AM CST
Zoo Says It's Got Earth's Longest Salamander
Petr Velensky uses a meter to show the size of a Chinese giant salamander Karlo in an aquarium at the zoo in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015.   (Petr David Josek)

Prague Zoo says it likely has the longest Chinese giant salamander now on Earth. The critically endangered animal is the largest amphibian on the planet. In a statement Sunday, the zoo says Karlo, a Chinese giant salamander it received 19 months ago from the State Museum of Natural History in Karlsruhe, Germany, is likely the biggest representative of its species. The zoo says, according to the latest measurements done Friday, that Karlo is 5 feet, 2 and 3/16 inches long. Karlo's age is estimated at 37 to 38 years and weight is 77 pounds. The largest salamander on record was 5 feet, 11 inches long. The zoo says its worldwide check didn't reveal any longer-living salamander. (Chinese officials were busted earlier this year feasting on a giant salamander.)

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