Which salamander is often called a “snot otter” or “devil dog” and can grow to be nearly two and a half feet long? With a name like Hellbender, you would think that this salamander would be intimidating. However, Hellbenders are practically harmless and if you come across one, you know that you have found one of the most pristine streams in the Eastern United States.

by Lynn Austin, Wild South Intern

Which salamander is often called a “snot otter” or “devil dog” and can grow to be nearly two and a half feet long? With a name like Hellbender, you would think that this salamander would be intimidating. However, Hellbenders are practically harmless and if you come across one, you know that you have found one of the most pristine streams in the Eastern United States.

The hellbender is the largest aquatic salamander species in the United States and the third largest in the world (behind the Chinese Giant Salamander and Japanese Giant Salamander). An adult Hellbender weighs 3-5 lbs and can live to be 30-35 years old. Hellbenders were once widely distributed throughout the Appalachian Mountains. However, the Hellbender population has dwindled significantly, and they are now limited to surviving in a few healthy stream systems in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.

Hellbenders have a flat body and head, short legs and beady dorsal eyes. Their skin is slimy and is typically brown to red-brown in coloring with a pale underbelly. They inhabit large, swiftly flowing streams with rocky bottoms and are primarily nocturnal, hiding under rocks in streams during the day and looking for food at night. They feed mainly on crayfish, but also eat mollusks, worms and insects.

Despite the Hellbenders’ intimidating name, they are actually quite docile. If they are provoked, hellbenders may snap at potential captors, but they are not venomous and actually have no teeth, just a strong, bony jaw much like a catfish.

Extinction Pressure
Deteriorating stream conditions are the main culprit for the Hellbender's decline. Hellbenders are completely aquatic and require clean, flowing streams for survival. Stream conditions have been detrimentally impacted by increased urbanization, poor agricultural and forestry practices, and road-building. As these streams are disturbed, sediment builds up and smothers the rocks under which the Hellbenders live.

The Hellbenders’ habitat has also been impacted as more rivers have been dammed. Damming of rivers has converted many of the free-flowing waterways into slow moving lakes no longer suitable for species like the Hellbender.

Conservation Status
Although Hellbenders are not yet listed as a Federal Endangered or Threatened species, many states have given them protective status. In North Carolina and Georgia, Hellbenders cannot be collected or possessed without a permit. Alabama has taken their protection status a step further, labeling the Hellbender as a protected non-game species that cannot be collected or possessed at all.

Wild South continually works with our partners in the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission to study and document the presence of imperiled wildlife. Recently Wild South joined the NCWRC and others in search of Hellbenders in the Tuckaseegee River. These surveys yielded more than a dozen Hellbenders. The purpose of these surveys is to document where Hellbenders occur and to collect data on the quality of their habitats and the status of their populations. Many of the surveys we conduct with the NCWRC require little expertise and are fun and rewarding. If you are interested in volunteering your time to explore nature and protect wildlife contact Ben Prater at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .