What's
a hellbender?
Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis) are extremely large, completely
aquatic salamanders native to the eastern United States. The largest
hellbender ever recorded was nearly 21/2
ft. long.
These salamanders need cool, clear
streams and rivers with many large rocks. They feed almost entirely on
crayfish, but will also eat small fish, invertebrates, and other
hellbenders. They will also scavenge for anything that smells good (or
bad, depending on your outlook)-- this is why they are often caught on
fishing lines.
Cool, clear
streams are important because hellbenders breathe entirely through their
skin! They have lungs, but rely on the thousands of capillaries found in
the fleshy folds of skin along their body and legs to get oxygen from the
water. 
Hellbenders live a long time! The
oldest known hellbender in captivity was 29 years and individuals in the
wild likely live that long or longer. Because they live so long, the
removal of adults from the wild can cause populations to dwindle.
Where do they
live?
Hellbenders
were once widely distributed throughout the Appalachian Mountains and
across the midwestern United States to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and
Missouri (see map). There are actually two subspecies of hellbenders. The
Ozark subspecies (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) only occurs
in northern Arkansas and
southern Missouri. The eastern subspecies makes up the rest of the range.
In general,
hellbenders only occur in Gulf of Mexico drainages, or those streams that
eventually flow to the Mississippi River. One exception is the Susquehanna
River in New York and Pennsylvania, which flows east to the Atlantic
Ocean.
Hellbender
populations have drastically declined throughout their range, mainly
because of declining stream quality.
Today,
hellbender populations generally occur in small pockets of habitat and
the most abundant populations are now restricted to mountainous areas with
little human settlement. The last great hellbender streams likely occur in
a narrow region of rugged mountains extending from eastern West Virginia
south through Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and ending in north
Georgia. A small area of northwestern Pennsylvania also harbors
several good watersheds.
Myths and
Misunderstandings
With what
some would consider ugly looks and a name like 'Hellbender," its easy
to imagine that these creatures are pretty misunderstood. Hellbenders are
not venomous, though their skin secretions are somewhat toxic (I don't
recommend touching your eyes after handling one). They will bite, but only
if they are really provoked. A common myth is that hellbenders will 'ruin'
good fishing streams by eating all the fish. This couldn't be farther from
the truth! In fact, if you see hellbenders in a stream, this is an
excellent indication that the water quality is still good -- and this is
good for both hellbenders and game fish. The hellbender's voracious
appetite for crayfish also means that they are very important for keeping
a stream's food chain balanced, and this is good for fish and the entire
ecosystem.
If you catch a hellbender while
fishing, please remove the hook using pliers or a pair of gloves and
release the hellbender.
Copyright 2006. This site
developed and maintained by Jeff Humphries.
If you have questions or comments, please send an email to jeff@hellbenders.org.
