KYOTO, Japan – In Japanese rivers, if you’re very lucky, you might find unusual amphibians that grow up to 5 feet long and look like strange cartoon dinosaurs. They are giant salamanders.

“The Japanese Giant Salamander Project is certainly one to be proud of. It is a perfect example of how innovation, passion, and collaboration can truly make a difference for an entire species.

Okay, time for some live lizard sex. Er, live amphibian sex.

Skeletons and 3-dimensional convex hull models of the animals featured in this study: Japanese Giant Salamander (A, B); Chinese Giant Salamander (C, D); Tiger Salamander (E, F); California Newt (G ...

While Japan’s often elusive giant salamander species is under threat, the country ironically may end up helping China preserve some of its giant salamanders, which face troubles of a different form.