Asiatic Salamanders: Hynobiidae

Some Asiatic salamanders, such as clouded salamanders, live only in lowlands. Others live only in the mountains. Many live 6,600 to 13,000 feet (2,000 to 4,000 meters) above sea level. The record for highest home belongs to the Tibetan stream salamander, which lives in western China at a height of 14,000 feet, or about 2.5 miles (4,250 meters).

Some Asiatic salamanders live in water all year. These salamanders live mainly in mountain streams with cool, fast-flowing water. During daylight hours, they stay under rocks in the water. Sometimes they hide under large rocks on shore, but they are never far from water. In some species of Asiatic salamanders the adults spend most of the year on land, but in the breeding season (February to June) they travel to and gather at breeding sites, which are either ponds or mountain streams with running water. Most species breed in only one of the types of water. For example, Korean salamanders breed only in ponds. Some species, however, such as Chinese salamanders, breed in both ponds and streams. They have been found under rocks and grass and in burrows. Some species have been dug out of soil.