📷 (c) bobbyfingers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
📷 (c) Dominic, some rights reserved (CC BY)
📷 (c) Brian Muckin, some rights reserved (CC BY)
IUCN: Near Threatened
Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassAmphibia›OrderUrodela›FamilyCryptobranchidae›GenusCryptobranchus
About
Hellbenders are large fully aquatic salamanders that breathe partly through wrinkled skin folds. They shelter beneath flat rocks and rely on clean, oxygen-rich streams. Siltation, pollution, disease, and stream alteration have caused declines, making them indicators of freshwater habitat quality.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Cool, clear, fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams
🍃Diet Carnivore — crayfish, small fish, insects, worms, and other aquatic prey
📏Size & Weight Body 30–74 cm
•weight 0.4–2.5 kg
⏳Lifespan 20–30 years or more
🗺Range Eastern United States river systems
AmphibianSalamander
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Cool, clear, fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams
🍃Diet Carnivore — crayfish, small fish, insects, worms, and other aquatic prey
📏Size & Weight Body 30–74 cm
•weight 0.4–2.5 kg
⏳Lifespan 20–30 years or more
🗺Range Eastern United States river systems
Photo Credits
#1(c) bobbyfingers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC
#2(c) Dominic, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY
#3(c) Brian Muckin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY
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