Eastern Hellbender
(Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis)
The Hellbender is one of the largest salamanders that is commonly encountered. It measures 12 - 29 inches in length. They are gray to brown in color and have variable dark spotting on their back and tail. The belly is lighter in color. The body and head are flattened and there is a loose flap of skin along the sides. They have round gill openings on the neck. Males tend to be smaller than females of the same age.
Hellbenders breed in late August to early September. The males prepare a nest by excavating a section under a flat rock submerged log. The female then lays 200 -300 eggs in the nest in one large egg mass and the male then fertilizes the eggs. The male then guards the nest for the next 2 - 3 months until the eggs hatch. Larvae are about one inch long.
Hellbenders are usually found in fast moving streams or rocky river beds. They are known by other names including the Allegheny Alligator and Devil Dog. There are also several myths about this species. Some common myths are that the hellbender smears fishing lines with slime, drive game fish away and have venomous bites. The truth is that none of these are true and the hellbender poses no threat to anything except the crayfish, worms and snails that they eat.
Eastern Hellbenders are a Special Concern in New York State and are only found in two river systems in New York. They are Endangered in Maryland, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In Alabama they are considered Threatened. Reasons for their decline include the pollution, damming and siltation of streams and rivers which destroy the breeding habitat of the Hellbender. Senseless killing of these animals by ignorant fisherman who fear they are venomous also contributes to their decline.