Hellbenders, largest salamander in the U.S. - Conservation Today

The Hellbender, which is the largest salamander in the Americas, reaching up to two and a half feet, is endangered due to human activities such as fracking, development, and polluting streams and waterways. The Toledo Zoo has partnered with different local organizations to support the growth of the Hellbender population and prevent them from going extinct. Learn more at wildtoledo.org.

[@amandastakeonit7402]

I am just seeing this, eight years later. I hope you have been very successful! Thank you for caring about them and helping them out. *LOVE IT!!!*

[@Malboop]

SO CUTE!!!!

[@sethriley7602]

People need to be educated on these. Im from central Ohio and most people you talk to around here treat them like they're carp

[@littleteethkeith]

If you run out of places in Ohio to place those little guys you should scout out some of the streams here in West Virginia. No all the streams here are effected by mining or timbering. I assume a Hellbender would survive in trout streams. Then again I'm just some guy on youtube.

[@ToledoZooAndAquarium]

Thanks for your comment! It appears West Virginia’s Hellbenders are doing a little better than Ohio’s, probably due to the fact you mentioned. However, I doubt there will ever be a time we will run out of places here in Ohio.Thanks for watching!

[@kenjiro2676]

Breed them in captivity to be pets, they will never go extinct. They would make interesting pond inhabitants. This will probably never happen but if they were to be bred by people breeders need to be licensed and follow a strict program so inbreeding is reduced(lots of people irresponsibly breed closely related animals for easy $$$).

[@amandastakeonit7402]

People don't get what a HUGE benefit it is to having captive bred and kept animals, most if not all of us are ready and willing to give our animals to conservation. I get and agree about the special licensing for special animals at risk. If they were needed to give fresh genes, or even to repopulate their native homes, we would do so. We keep them appreciating where they came from and that we have healthy animals that might be called upon in the future. Current laws that are being snuck into unrelated bills are destroying the chances of all of that though.

[@shanek6582]

Can you find them in smoky mountains?

[@user-wo9om2ec4v]

おお！ヘルベンダー(アメリカンジャイアントサラマンダー)！
よく映像がありましたなぁ。

[@akhileshthapa_fishbro86]

👍

[@jameshelms9875]

I had one on my fishing line when I was trout fishing on the cherokee rezervation. it was 2 foot long and ugly as hell I cut my line and got hell out the water

[@KennethDAstonJr]

You did a good thing too!

[@amandastakeonit7402]

How rude! You can't see the beauty of something different?!!

[@brandon9172]

Its near endangered. Not endangered.

[@ToledoZooAndAquarium]

irocktype955 the Hellbender is state endangered in Ohio.

[@chigimonky]

Where are you getting your information on their conservation status? They seem to be designated as near threatened as far as I can see. They appear to be two designations below endangered.

[@ToledoZooAndAquarium]

Hi chigimonky ! Thanks for watching our video! The Eastern Hellbender is designated as Endangered in the State of Ohio, and also in almost every other state it exists in. wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/information/pub356.pdf.
The Ozark hellbender which was recently considered a subspecies just received federal protection. This is due to similar circumstances but it has a more restricted range than the eastern hellbender, which you saw above in our video!
www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/amphibians/ozhe/NRFinalListingozhe.html?rid=273
I hope this helps!