Family: Cryptobranchidae, Hellbenders view all from this family

Description 12-29 1/8" (30.5 - 74 cm). A giant among salamanders; totally aquatic. Body and head flattened; loose flap of skin along lower sides of body. Single pair of circular gill openings on neck. Gray or olive-brown above, with or without dark mottling or spotting. Belly lighter, with few markings. Male smaller than female. Male has swollen ridge around vent during breeding season.

Subspecies Eastern (C. a. alleganiensis), spotting variable on body and tail; range as noted except absent in se. Missouri and ne. Arkansas.
Ozark (C. a bishopi), heavily blotched on back and tail, gill slits small and occasionally closed in adults; Black River system and north fork of White River in se. Missouri and ne. Arkansas.

Breeding Late August to early September in North; September to early November in South. At night males prepare saucer-shaped nest cavity beneath large, flat rocks or submerged logs. Female lays 200-500 yellowish eggs in long strings, forming tangled mass; male positions himself beside or above her and sprays milt. Male guards next. Larvae hatch in 2-3 months at 1 1/16" (27 mm).

Habitat Clear fast-flowing streams and rivers with rocky bottoms.

Range Sw. New York to n. Alabama and Georgia. Separate populations in Missouri and in Susquehanna River (New York and Pennsylvania).

Discussion Commonly called Allegheny Alligator or Devil Dog. Fishermen often encounter Hellbenders while searching for insect bait under flat river rocks. Folklore has it that Hellbenders smear fishing lines with slime, drive game fish away, and inflict poisonous bites. In fact, they are harmless; they feed on crayfish, snails, and worms. Captive longevity, 29 years. Long-term survival threatened by dam construction and pollution.