‘So grotesque they’re beautiful’: Eastern hellbender may get federal protections

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Their nicknames are unpleasant — from “old lasagna sides” to “devil dog” to “snot otter” But the eastern hellbender is adored by many for their flat heads, wrinkled bodies and paddle-shaped tails.

“You look at them and you can tell you’re looking at something prehistoric. They’re not like anything else. They’re fascinating. They’re so grotesque they’re beautiful,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

North America’s largest salamander lives in streams and rivers across 15 states from the Appalachian Mountains to the Ozarks.

The eastern hellbender, which was named Pennsylvania’s state amphibian in 2019, are found in the Allegheny watershed, as well as the Susquehanna River and its adjoining streams.

Though the species has existed for millions of years, and each individual can live for more than 30 years, the salamanders are threatened by poor water quality and their populations have drastically declined.

In an effort to protect the eastern hellbender and their habitats, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to list the species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

“It would be a real shame if we were to lose them forever,” said Jeromy Applegate, a biologist with the service. “They’re really excellent indicators of water quality, and we find that the healthiest populations of eastern hellbenders are always in rivers with clean, cool water. Our proposed listing is the first step to help conserve the species for future generations.”

In 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species under the Endangered Species Act. However, the petition was denied, with exceptions for populations in Missouri. The center challenged the decision and a court ordered the service to conduct further surveys.

In the six years since, eastern hellbender populations have declined by 59%, according to the service, and close to half are presumed locally extinct.

The salamanders, which breathe through their skin, require clean, cold water to breathe in. The species is particularly threatened by sedimentation, which is when soil particles from farms, construction sites and logging operations reach streams and rivers.

Sedimentation fills in the spaces between small rocks beneath the water young hellbenders, and the insects they eat, live in. Sedimentation can also cover large boulders adult hellbenders use for shelter and for reproduction.

Ted Evgeniadis, executive director of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, said he was pleasantly surprised by the recent proposal.

“They made a really bad decision in 2019, and they corrected that decision now by listing [the species],” said Evgeniadis, who has advocated for the species’ protection. “We’re happy that they did it, but it should have been done a long time ago.”

Prior to making a final decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comments over a two-month period. If the eastern hellbender is listed, it would be illegal to collect or kill the species, funding would be allocated for research and conservation efforts, and federal agencies would be required to work with the service to protect the species.

“It will prohibit activities that would cause additional pollution in the areas where they live,” said Curry of the Center for Biological Diversity. “It will provide funding to do things like plant trees along rivers so that agricultural fields don’t run straight up to the riverbank. It will provide funding to work with landowners who want to participate to put in those riparian buffers to help improve the water quality.”

The service’s Applegate encourages people who live near streams or rivers to plant and maintain forested buffers to help improve habitat and reduce sediment. He added that anyone who catches an eastern hellbender while fishing should release the species, and urges swimmers and kayakers to leave rocks alone to avoid disturbing the creatures.

Evgeniadis said Pennsylvania residents should care about protecting the eastern hellbender and the water they live in. The health of the species, which can only thrive among clean water, can indicate how pristine a river or stream is.

“The water resources need to be protected, and the aquatic species that call those places home need to be protected, too,” Evgeniadis said. “Everybody should have an interest in clean water, and everybody should have an interest in the aquatic species that live in those waters, because if they can’t live in those waters, then that’s not going to be suitable water for us to drink, too.”