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It is the largest salamander in North America. A member of the family Cryptobranchidae, the hellbender is the only extant member of the genus Cryptobranchus. Other closely related salamanders in the same family are in the genus Andrias, which contains the Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders.
Learn about the hellbender, a near-threatened species that lives in clean, swift-running rivers across the eastern United States. Find out how the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are working to protect and research this flattened, nocturnal predator.
The hellbender—sometimes called a “snot otter”—is a large, fully-aquatic amphibian with a flat head, wrinkled body, and paddle-shaped tail. Its body is usually dark gray or brown with irregular dark spots along the back.
Learn about the hellbender salamander, the largest aquatic salamander in the US, and how it is threatened by habitat loss and degradation. Find out how the Nature Conservancy is working to protect and restore this endangered species through dam removal, outreach and research.
- They have lungs, but they breathe completely through pores in their skin. Their name Cryptobranchus means “secret gill.”
- They are the third largest species of salamanders in the world, growing to over two feet long and weighing over four pounds. Their closest relatives live in China and Japan, but hellbenders are the last of their genus.
- They can live into their 50s in captivity — that’s ancient for an amphibian.
- Unlike other salamanders, they can’t regrow their limbs. Biologists “tagged” hellbender salamanders captured in the 1990s by clipping off one of the amphibian’s toes.
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2 days ago · Eastern hellbenders are the largest species of salamander in the Americas, ranging from 12 to 29 inches long and weighing up to 5 pounds, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
22 hours ago · For more information on the hellbenders and upcoming programs, call 812-738-8234 or see interpretiveservices.IN.gov. O'Bannon Woods State Park ( on.IN.gov/obannonwoodssp) is at 7234 Old Forest ...
