Sedic giant salamander

The Sedic giant salamander, also simply called the Sedic salamander, is one of the largest salamanders and one of the largest amphibians in the world. It is fully aquatic and is endemic to streams and lakes throughout east Alutra, particularly in the Aarnieu River basin. It is closely related to the larger Ollphéist, native to the island nation of Salia to the east. It is considered endangered in the wild due to habitat loss, pollution, and overcollection, as it is often used in traditional Sedic folklore as an ingredient in various medicines. On farms in select nations, primarily Ordrey, it is extensively farmed and sometimes bred, although many of the salamanders on the farms are caught in the wild. The Sedic giant salamander is considered to be a "living fossil." and was declared as such by a World Forum commission in 1994. Although protected by international convention and numerous nations' laws, the wild population has declined by more than 40% since the 1950s.

Description
The Sedic giant salamander has a large head, small eyes, and dark, wrinkly skin. Its flat, broad head has a wide mouth, round, lidless eyes, and a line of paired tubercles that run down its head and throat. Its color is typically dark brown with a mottled or speckled pattern, but it can also be other brownish tones, dark reddish, or black. Albinos, which are white or orange in appearance, are considered to be spiritually auspicious. They produce a bitter, sticky white secretion from their skin that repels predators.

The average adult weighs 25-30 kg and is 1.15 m in length. It can reach up to 50 kg in weight and 1.8 m in length, making it the second largest amphibian species after the Salian ollphéist. The longest documented Sedic giant salamander, kept at a rural shrine near Boubrigge. Ordrey, was 1.8 m in 2017. At 59 kg, it surpassed the species' previously assumed maximum weight. The Sedic giant salamander is known to vocalize, making barking, whining, hissing, or crying sounds. Some of these vocalizations bear a striking resemblance to a crying infant, giving rise to a Gundiagh name for the creatures, "macanee," or "swamp son."

Feeding
The Sedic giant salamander has been recorded feeding on insects, worm, amphibians, freshwater crabs and shrimp, fish and even small mammals. Cannibalism is frequent; in a study of 89 specimens from the Lower Aarnieu range, the stomach content of five included remains of other Sedic giant salamanders and this made up 28% of the combined weight of all food items in the study. The most frequent items in the same study were freshwater crabs (found in 19 specimens), which made up 23% of the combined weight of all food items. It has very poor eyesight, so it depends on special sensory nodes that run in a line on the body from head to tail. It is capable of sensing the slightest vibrations around it with the help of these nodes. Based on a captive study, most activity is from the earlier evening to the early night. Most individuals stop feeding at water temperatures above 20 °C and feeding ceases almost entirely at 28 °C. Temperatures of 35 °C are lethal to Sedic giant salamanders.

Breeding and lifecycle
Both sexes maintain a territory, averaging 40 m cu for males and 30 m cu for females. The reproductive cycle is initiated when the water temperature reaches 20 C and mating occurs between Summer and Fall. Females lay 400-500 eggs in an underwater breeding cavity, which is guarded by the male until the eggs hatch after 50-60 days. They have a variety of different courtship displays, including knocking bellies, leaning side-to-side, riding, mouth-to-mouth posturing, chasing, rolling over, inviting, and cohabitating. When laid, the eggs mature 7-8 mm in diameter, but they increase to about double size by absorbing water. When hatching, the larvae are about 3 cm long and external gills remain until a length of about 20 cm at an age of 3 years. Maturity is reached at an age of 5 to 6 years and a length of 40–50 cm. The maximum age reached by Sedic giant salamanders is unknown, but it is at least 60 years based on captive individuals. Undocumented claims have been made of 200-year-old Sedic giant salamanders, but these are generally considered to be unreliable.

Distribution and habitat
The Sedic giant salamander species complex comprises several clades, with multiple possibly worthy of species recognition. Their native ranges differ, but the release of the giant salamanders from captivity have complicated matters. They are widespread across east Alutra, although their range is now highly fragmented. One clade is from the Upper Aarnieu Basin, one from the Lower Aarnieu Basin, one from the Ordrish Penguinnes, one from the Myrish Penguinnes, and one from the Edu Delta, with some minor ones located in the Serpentines. Finds in parts of western Salia may be the result of introduction; the salamanders may have been introduced to the Porth Grai area in that country, where they present a threat to the native population by means of hybridization.

The Sedic giant salamander is entirely aquatic and lives in streams and lakes. It typically lives in dark muddy or rocky crevices along the banks or shore. It is usually found in forested regions. They prefer to live in bodies of water of small width and little depth. Water temperature varies depending on season. The salamanders are known to occasionally form subterranean rivers. As populations in aboveground rivers and lakes are more vulnerable, there are some parts of east Alutra where only the subterranean populations remain.



Farming
Large numbers of the salamanders are farmed in east Alutra, but most of the breeding stock are either wild-caught or first generation captive-bred. This is partially because the industry is relatively new, but some farms have also struggled to produce second generation captive bred offspring. The giant salamander farming industry mainly supplies the traditional medicine and food markets. Release of captive bred salamanders is supported by multiple governments, but present a potential risk to the remaining wild populations due to diseases such as ranavirus known from many farms. The majority of the farmed Sedic giant salamanders are of the Upper Aarnieu clade, although those from others can also be found in captivity. Additionally, the release of untreated wastewater from farms may spread disease to wild salamanders.

In zoos and aquariums
As of the early 2010s, world records show that thousands of individuals are held in zoos and aquariums, both in east Alutra and the world at large. They are common sights at Ayekist shrines in low-lying parts of east Alutra, as they are commonly associated with the spirit Pennelgwéru (the mainland counterpart to the Salian version, xxx) and are thought to bring good luck. Totems made of the body parts of the salamanders are commonly worn as good luck in east Alutra, although these have recently begun giving way to plush salamanders and plastic salamander key chains. Since 2014, 33 Sedic giant salamanders, including three adults, have been hosted at the Ornpyat Royal Zoo and Aquarium.

Notable Sedic giant salamanders

 * Maajar Vaino - named for the former Myrish Minister-General Maajar Vaino, Maajar the giant salamander was photographed in late 2019 in Gladomyr and quickly spread as a popular gen, first in Gladomyr and then all of east Alutra. Many gen-makers take part by digitally adding the salamander in the image to photos of Myrish state events.  The salamander itself currently lives in a small grove south of Kesmaar and now receives hundreds of visitors every year.