Range

Hellbenders are native to North America. They are found throughout the central United States in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Habitat

A hellbenders life is spent entirely in the water. They make their home in cool waters of fast flowing streams that provide a supply of oxygen to them. These feature large rocks for them to hide under.

Reproduction

Males will create a nest site in autumn. Females will come to visit them here and lay anywhere from 100-500 eggs. Males fertilise the eggs which are laid and the female then leaves.

The father will stay and defend the nest site for the entire 72 day incubation period. They need protection as a range of predators such as fish, turtles, snakes and larger hellbenders will eat the eggs.

Once the eggs hatch they are a larva. These have gills and use these to breathe. At hatching the larva is 2.5cm (1in) long.

It will take 2 years for the hellbender larva to begin metamorphosing in to adults and at this point they will lose the gills and begin to breathe solely through the skin.

Sexual maturity is achieved for both sexes at 5 years old.

Behaviour

The hellbender is primarily nocturnal. They emerge at night to hunt. During the day they will hide under a rock.

They are a solitary animal. They spend their time alone outside of the breeding season.

It is rare for the hellbender to swim. Instead they walk along the bottom of the water course which they live in. This is assisted by toe pads that help to grip.

Predators and Threats

The adult hellbender faces predation from raccoons, minks and river otters.

Humans affect the hellbender population through a range of factors. When dams are built this can stop the river flowing as fast and as such the hellbender is unable to obtain enough oxygen from the water.

They are also affected by the warming of their habitat and environmental pollution.

Some people believe the hellbender to be venomous (it is not) and as such they are killed by some people.

While it is illegal to own a pet hellbender an illegal trade exists in these which further contributes to their decline.

Quick Facts

The hellbender is the largest salamander in the United States of America and the third largest on Earth after the Japense and Chinese giant salamanders.

Hellbenders are split in to two separate species which are known as the Ozark hellbender and the eastern hellbender.

They are also known as the ‘snot otter’ or ‘devil dog.’