Hellbenders are one of the largest salamanders in the world, growing to over 2 feet long. Their cousins in China and Japan, the Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders, can grow to an enormous 5 to 6 feet long and can weigh as much as 100 lbs! Hellbenders are only found in the mountains and foothills of the eastern United States, generally in streams that flow to the Mississippi River. They once thrived in thousands of pristine streams in the Ozark and Appalachian mountains, and throughout the Ohio River valley. 

Today, hellbenders are limited to relatively few healthy stream systems, mainly in areas that have remained isolated from development and urbanization -- mainly in the rugged mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. They can still be found throughout their original range, but they are quickly declining in most places because many streams are not adequately protected from sediment runoff. I hope you enjoy this website about these amazing creatures!