Eastern Hellbender — printable fact sheet
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Eastern Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis is a giant aquatic salamander of Appalachian streams, reaching around 70 cm, and its whole body is an oxygen-absorbing surface. The loose, wrinkled skin along its flanks is thrown into deep folds that hugely increase surface area, and it is laced wit…
Did you know?
- Despite their intimidating appearance and name, hellbenders are completely harmless to humans and play a crucial role in maintaining healthy stream ecosystems.
- Unlike the superficially similar mudpuppy, an adult hellbender has no external gills at all, keeping only a single pair of gill slits — the two are routinely confused by anglers, who kill hellbenders believing they are venomous or that they ruin fishing. It can live for 30 years or more in the wild. Hellbenders retain a lateral line system like a fish, sensing water movement, which helps them hunt crayfish at night in murky water. The species is in steep decline across most of its range, and captive-rearing programmes now raise young for several years before release.
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