The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list North America’s largest salamander as endangered. The Eastern Hellbender’s habitat is shrinking, but Southwest Virginia creeks give the animal valuable refuge. Biologists are also studying whether Hurricane Helene hurt Hellbender populations.
“As adults, Hellbenders can be two feet long,” said Bill Hopkins, a professor of wildlife conservation at Virginia Tech who’s been studying these salamanders for nearly two decades. “They can live decades, probably longer than thirty years.”
He said Hellbenders have been on the planet for millions of years.
“And what’s really surprising, is nobody ever sees them,” Hopkins said. “They spend their entire life underwater, and they spend most of their time under boulders.”
Hellbenders need creeks with good shade and tree cover, so when trees are cut down, they lose habitat.
“The one thing we do know, is that the declines appear to be associated with human activities,” Hopkins said.
Tree loss also changes the water chemistry, and construction or storms that stir up sediment harm hellbenders.
Hopkins said biologists across Appalachia are beginning to survey the impact Hurricane Helene had on hellbenders. It will be years before they can estimate the extent of the damage, but he said it’s likely the storm hurt hellbender populations.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment on its proposal to list hellbenders as endangered, until February 11. The agency is also proposing to list four mussels as endangered, three of which live in Virginia streams and creeks.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
