When I think of salamanders I think

When I think of salamanders I think of the small, colourful, lizard-like creatures we have at my home. They are normally only about 10 - 20 centimetres long.

There are many types of salamanders around the world, however and in China and Japan they can grow quite big, between one and two metres in length.

They are hard to find because they live in cool, clear rivers and are usually active only at night

Thus, it is not surprising that people living near the Kamogawa River in Kyoto had no idea what they were seeing when a giant Japanese salamander started wandering down a path next to the river.