Like its congeners, Andrias sligoi likely occurs in clear, cool, slow to swift flowing streams with a pH of 6–7 in steep-sided, well-vegetated valleys that have caves in rocky banks and karst landscapes (Wang et al. 2004, Yan et al. 2018). Based on congeners, it is thought that between July and September, females will lay a string of approximately 500 eggs in an underwater burrow or cavity that is occupied by a male (Fei and Ye 2016, Luo et al. 2018). Eggs are fertilized externally and are guarded by the male until they hatch 50–60 days later. Larvae then develop in the streams, taking food after about 30 days (Haker 1997). This species is also known to breed in subterranean caves (Liang et al. 2019).

Congeneric species are known to reach maturity between 5–6 years of age; there are no exact records indicating longevity in the wild, but captive individuals of Chinese Giant Salamander lineages have been known to survive for over 55 years (Ye et al. 1993). Based on this information and its congener A. davidianus (Liang et al. 2012), its generation length is estimated to be 15 years.

The holotype specimen of this species was collected in the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens in 1920, and is thought to have been moved there from a nearby locality in mainland China (potentially Guangdong or Guangxi Provinces, and/or from the Pearl River Basin); however, this suggested origin is unconfirmed (Boulenger 1924, Turvey et al. 2019). During the early twentieth century, there was already a known trade of giant salamanders from elsewhere in China to the trading centre of Canton (= Guangzhou, Guangdong Province), and contemporary records provide evidence of giant salamander exploitation in Guizhou Province, so it is also possible that the holotype individual originated from this region (Sowerby 1925a, b).

Based on genetic analysis of giant salamander individuals that were sampled from the wild directly by researchers, this species has only been recorded with certainty from Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou and Hunan provinces, China (Liang et al. 2019). It has been recorded in the Youjianghe, Wujiang and Yuanjiang rivers (tributaries of the Yangtze River), and in the Xijiang River (a tributary of the Pearl River) (Liang et al. 2019). The species is associated with rivers in the Daloushan, Wulingshan and Miaoling mountains (Liang et al. 2019). However, the presence of this species at some of these sites may be a result of intentional or accidental giant salamander releases from salamander farms, rather than representing wild populations; this is particularly likely for individuals reported by Liang et al. (2019) from Chongqing Municipality, because other wild individuals from the same river drainage were genetically identified by these authors as Andrias davidianus, the species which is also recorded from nearby sites north of the Yangtze River. Other individuals identified as this species through genetic analysis have also been reported from Guizhou Province, China (Yan et al. 2018), but these animals were sampled on salamander farms and were reported to have been locally wild-caught, and so cannot be confirmed to have originated locally. Records from Daliangshan mountain range are uncertain, and further taxonomic work needs to be carried out to verify their identity (Andrias Workshop December 2020).

Subpopulations in Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces as well as some subpopulations in Yunnan and Hunan Province, China have been assigned to this species for mapping purposes as they represent sister lineages to this species. However these subpopulations may represent distinct undescribed species as phylogenetic analyses show deep genetic divergence. into three clades (i.e. Hunan and Guangxi subpopulations, Guangdong and Jiangxi subpopulations, and Anhui and Zhejiang subpopulations) (Yan et al. 2018, Liang et al. 2019). For this reason, these subpopulations have been mapped as A. sligoi (presence uncertain). Further taxonomic work is required to delineate species in the genus (Andrias Workshop December 2020).

One captive individual of this species is known from Japan (M. Takahashi and S. Okada pers. comm. December 2020). There are possibly other introduced lineages of Chinese Andrias present in Japan, and it is possible that they may be hybridising with the Japanese species but further confirmation is required (M. Takahashi and S. Okada pers. comm. December 2020).

The elevation range of the species is thought to be 390–1,300 m asl (after Liang et al. 2019), but there are relatively few published records of this species and it is expected that the elevation range is probably wider. It may also occur more widely however further study is required (Andrias Workshop December 2020).

Conservation Actions In-Place
All Andrias species have been listed in CITES Appendix I since 1975. However due to its recent recognition of this species as valid, it is not listed on any national legislation in China (Andrias Workshop December 2020). The genus is considered a global priority for conservation due to its evolutionary history and global endangerment (Isaac et al. 2012). 

The Chinese government has been carrying out a national action plan for Chinese giant salamander reintroduction into the wild since 2002, but this reintroduction has not considered the phylogeography of the genus (Yan et al. 2018). There are very few published accounts of successful reintroductions as post-release monitoring is not undertaken. Luo et al. (2009) reported the survival of some released individuals a year after their release. Some of the more recently released individuals have been pit tagged; however only one pit tagged individual (that was released in 2017) has been found and recorded again to date (Z. Liang pers. comm. December 2020). It is unknown which of the described Chinese Andrias species these individuals belong to, and work needs to be carried out to identify their lineage (Z. Liang pers. comm. December 2020). Although releases are known to take place across much of central, southern and eastern China, very few surviving released individuals were detected in the wild during the range-wide giant salamander survey in 2013–2016, and dead salamanders have been found at known release sites (Turvey et al. 2018). Farm releases have not met IUCN translocation guidelines and they pose a risk to wild subpopulations; with translocations possibly spreading pathogens and mixing different lineages and/or species (Cunningham et al. 2016, Turvey et al. 2018, Yan et al. 2018, Liang et al. 2019, Turvey et al. 2019).

Chinese Giant Salamanders are reported to occur in over 50 national, provincial and county-level nature reserves, some of which use the species as their main conservation target, such as Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander Nature Reserve. It is difficult to determine how successful these reserves are in protecting the species, or even if the species is still extant at some of them, and it is known that releases (presumably including non-native species or lineages) take place within many of these reserves (e.g. Luo et al. 2009), although this practice is thought to have stopped in many regions in recent years (J. Chai pers. comm. December 2020). The Hunan Giant Salamander Rescue Centre is conducting ex situ conservation breeding for the genetic lineages they hold. Genetic testing has been carried out and is ongoing with individuals from clades B and D (as per Yan et al. 2018) identified as being held at the centre (J. Chai pers. comm. December 2020).

Conservation Needed
There are a number of different conservation actions required for this species. Firstly, protective legislation should be strengthened and enforced so that any remaining subpopulations can be safeguarded including legislation to separate farmed individuals from wild individuals (Lu et al. 2020, Andrias Workshop December 2020). Targeted ex-situ action is required including the establishment of captive populations of different lineages that are managed for conservation breeding, with separation of individuals used for conservation breeding and in commercial breeding, and with subsequent translocations being considered (Lu et al. 2020). The release of salamanders from farms should be halted immediately. These animals are of unknown provenance and lineage, and are released into sites with no pre-release evaluation of the presence of extant giant salamanders, ecological impacts of the releases, or post-release monitoring. A coordinated and evidence based approach to reintroduction is needed, especially with regards to genetic screening and pre-release health screening, translocations should be evaluated with post release monitoring, and there is a need for closer collaboration between conservation biologists, protected area managers, fisheries departments and researchers to implement conservation actions (Lu et al. 2020). Measures are also required for a tagging system and farming licenses should be regulated (X. Lingyun pers. comm. December 2020). Any conservation plan will also need to incorporate a programme to raise awareness, involving civil societies, and educate locals on the importance of conserving the species (R. Murphy and W. Bo pers. comm. December 2020).

Research Needed  
Further research into the population size, distribution and trends, life history, ecology and threats is required. More work is also required to resolve taxonomic uncertainty and to identify evolutionarily significant units. There is an urgent need to develop a species conservation action plan.