HelpTheHellbender

Hellbender conservation, research, and outreach.

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Check out this great podcast by All Creatures all about Hellbenders! https://t.co/IfyEPFz9Wo

[Indianapolis Zoo @IndianapolisZoo]

Furry otters may win the popular vote, but our snot otters can't be counted out at this year's #AquademyAwards. "Hellbender or High Water" deserves attention in the Best Animottered Feature category.

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

If only it wasn't winter

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Larval hellbenders eating some tasty blackworms. These guys hatched last year!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Today is a feeding day for our Hellbenders! In summer they get live crayfish, but in the winter we're forced to feed them frozen food. This is one of our 2015's enjoying lake smelt!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Today is a feeding day for our Hellbenders! In summer they get live crayfish, but in the winter we're forced to feed them frozen food. This is one of our 2015's enjoying lake smelt!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

We are moving larval hellbender today into our rearing system 💙

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Working on our #hellbender juvenile huts! We are going to test if juveniles in our 30ft raceway will use them as hides or not.

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Another shot of us moving the larvae today. They are being moved out of the tanks they were hatched in to go into our blue tanks!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

How awesome are these?! We are currently working on creating juvenile #hellbender huts ato test if they will use them as shelter or not in our 30ft raceway system. We hopefully would deploy them into the Blue River if they use the huts!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Another shot of us moving the larvae today. They are being moved out of the tanks they were hatched in to go into our blue tanks!

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Hellbender larvae really love cuddling! Once they're adults, they will become territorial and aggressive.

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

We are moving larval hellbender today into our rearing system 💙

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

Here's a video created by the @INFishWildlife of our Hellbender release in July.

They were 6 years old and were collected as eggs from the same river they were released into (Blue), good luck little ones!

@PurdueAg @PurdueFNR

Cred: Brent Drinkut

[Viorel Popescu @vioreldpopescu]

Day in the life of a #hellbender dad: guard eggs, but occasionally snack on your own offspring

HBs are declining across their US range, and learning about their reproductive ecology seems to be key

Video: artificial nest box in a Western PA stream

@ohiouResearch @WildlifeMag

[Denim Jochimsen @vintage_denim]

They grow up so fast! Hellbender larvae collected in WV just 2 months ago (left) are using their teeny limbs to motor around now! They will be reared at the Wilds until they are large enough to be released back to their native stream (~3 years).

[American Museum of Natural History @AMNH]

Did you know the hellbender is the largest aquatic salamander in N. America? On average, it reaches lengths of ~2 ft (61 cm)! Its appearance is unmistakable: it has a flattened head, body, & tail—& let’s not forget the copious amounts of slime that covers its body. [📸: @USDA]

[Charles Patterson @CEPattersonJr]

Have you ever held a snot otter? Proud of our alumnae Emma Stone leading the effort to make the Eastern Hellbender the PA state amphibian. #LoveMU

[HelpTheHellbender @HelpTheHellbend]

This is awesome!

[CU-Mansfield @mansfieldu]

Did you know Pennsylvania now has an official state amphibian?

Mansfield University geosciences major Emma Stone played a big role in making the Eastern Hellbender the PA state amphibian in April.

Read more: https://t.co/l7hUcZe2BS

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