Eastern Hellbenders

Autumn Field Surveys

Posted on Oct 12, 2015

While the field season never completely ends, projects shift and our attention will soon be focused on other seasonally appropriate surveys during the upcoming cooler months. As the temperatures continue to drop as well as the leaves, our stream work surveying for the elusive Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is winding down. This week we got out to take more samples and carry out more rock lift surveys. So far we have found that the stream we have been working in has a good number of Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) and has a lot of interesting macroinvertebrates, all of...

Chasing Hellbenders

Posted on Jul 17, 2015

It’s a beautiful sunny morning when I join biologists, students and techs from the University of Buffalo and NYS DEC to evaluate a stream for a particularly unique species of amphibian. We dawn our waders and lug our equipment to the water’s edge. The water is still relatively cool and is rolling over the rocky bottom of the river in which we enter. With nets in hand and special poles used to lift large rocks, we begin to evaluate the stream bottom for suitable places a secretive salamander might live. As we find a massive rock along the river floor, we surround it as it is...

Posted on Sep 12, 2013

The main target of our trip to Pennsylvania on September 7 was the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis). This prehistoric and aquatic giant salamander is endemic to the eastern U.S. and declining rapidly across its range. It requires a freshwater habitat that is cool, clean, fast-flowing, rocky, clear, and healthy. We found three of them – two young and one adult – in Allegheny National Forest. Here are a bunch of photos of all three. Additionally here is some HD...