大鲵，别名娃娃鱼，属于隐鳃鲵科，学名为 Andrias Davidianus。大鲵是现存有尾目中最大的一种，最长可超过1M。头部扁平、钝圆，口大，眼不发达，无眼睑。身体前部扁平，至尾部逐渐转为侧扁。体两侧有明显的肤褶，四肢短扁，指、趾前五后四，具微蹼。尾圆形，尾上下有鳍状物。体表光滑，布满黏液。身体背面为黑色和棕红色相杂，腹面颜色浅淡。生活在金鞭溪、砂刀沟的清澈溪流中，一般都匿居在山溪的石隙间，洞穴位于水面以下。每年7－8月间产卵，每尾产卵300枚以上，雄鲵将卵带绕在背上，2－3周后孵化。大鲵为我国特有特种，因其叫声似婴儿啼哭，故俗称“娃娃鱼”。大鲵的心脏构造特殊，已经出现了一些爬行类的特征，属于国家二级保护动物，具有重要的研究价值。由于肉味鲜美，被视为珍品，遭到捕杀，野生资源已遭到严重破坏，需加强保护。桑植县有人工养殖。

        Giant salamander is nicknamed as Doll Fish, with a formal name as Andrias Davidianus, belonging to hidden-gill Salamander Section. The Salamander is the biggest caudate order now existing( maximum more than one meter ), with flat and round head, big mouse, underdeveloped eyes, no eyelids. Its forepart body is flat, and turns into a side flat at the tail. Both sides of its body have clear drapes, and its four limbs are short and flat, five toes in each front limb and four in back one. Its tail is round with the fin. The body is smooth, cover with glue liquid. It is a mixture of black and red at the back of its body, and light in its stomach. It lives in the streams in Golden Whip Stream and Shadao Ditch, normally hiding in the stone rift, and its cave locates under water. Every year it produces eggs in July and August. Each salamander can produce more than 300 eggs, which enwind around the back of males, and hatch from eggs after 2-3 weeks. Giant salamander is a species only found in our country, and called Doll Fish because of its voice similar to an infant cry. Its heart structure is special, already appearing some characteristics of crawl type. It is national second-class protection animal with important research value. Because of its tasteful meat, it is seen as the delicacy, thus suffering being caught. The resources have already seriously been destroyed, so it’s necessary to strengthen its protection. There are Giant salamanders which are manmade feeding at Sangzhi County.