Eastern Hellbender

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
AnimalsSensitive species

A giant wrinkled river salamander reaching over two feet, surviving in Indiana only in the Blue River system.

Field facts
HabitatClean, fast rivers with large flat rocks
RangeBlue River watershed, southern Indiana
When to lookYear-round
StatusState endangered (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesMudpuppy — external gills, much smaller

Field note: It absorbs oxygen through the frilled folds of its skin.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Never lift large river rocks in hellbender streams; report any sighting to DNR.

This species is treated as sensitive: locations are generalised to county level and never routed to directly.

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