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The eastern hellbender is North America’s largest salamander. The aquatic giant can grow up to 2 feet long, weigh up to 4 pounds and has rippled skin folds that allow it to “breathe” underwater. 

These charismatic creatures cling to cool, clean, fast-flowing streams, and their presence signals high water quality and a healthy ecosystem. 

Unfortunately, the future of the eastern hellbender is uncertain. Keep reading to learn more about what’s impacting these special amphibians and to meet Hungars, Hungry Mother State Park’s rescued hellbender. 

About the eastern hellbender and where to find them 

Hellbenders belong to a family of ancient amphibians and have been around for millions of years. Fossil evidence suggests that giant salamanders, like the hellbender, have existed since the time of the dinosaurs, evolving very little since then. 

Since they’re fully aquatic and breathe primarily through their wrinkly skin, they have to stay moist and well-oxygenated. So, that’s why you’ll find them in cool, fast-flowing streams and rivers with rocky bottoms. These habitats offer the oxygen-rich water and shelter hellbenders need to thrive. Their flattened bodies and wide heads enable them to slide under large rocks, where they hide during the day and ambush prey, such as crawfish and small fish, at night. 

Hellbender
Male eastern hellbender guarding his nest box entrance. Photo courtesy of J.D. Kleopfer/DWR 

The range of the Eastern Hellbender stretches from southern New York, through much of the Appalachian region, and into parts of the Midwest like Indiana and Missouri. In Virginia, they’re found in the western part of the state, in high-quality mountain streams.  

Saving the eastern hellbender 

According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, hellbenders are listed as Tier 1a (Critical Conservation Need with “immediate and intense management action” required to prevent extinction) species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan, and in December 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service submitted a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as federally endangered. 

Their population is declining due to habitat loss from damming, sedimentation from logging and mining, agricultural runoff, pollution and diseases like chytrid fungus. 

In Virginia’s Clinch and Holston watersheds, catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene in 2024 impacted breeding nests, and scientists estimate that recovery may take decades. 

However, even before Hurricane Helene, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and Virginia Tech were working together on building and placing artificial nest boxes on the bottom of rivers. These large concrete boxes provide hellbenders with high-quality nesting sites that aren’t affected by human disturbance of the river bottom and allow researchers to more easily monitor and study them (DWR, Jan. 13, 2025). 

Hellbender
A hellbender nest box resting in the bottom of the stream. Photo courtesy of J.D. Kleopfer/DWR 

DWR and Virginia Tech have these boxes in place ahead of the upcoming nesting season, which typically takes place in late summer to early fall. During this time, males establish and defend their nests, and when a female chooses one, she deposits anywhere from 100 to 500 eggs, which the male then fertilizes externally.  

Afterward, the male remains to guard the nest, a rare behavior among amphibians, fanning the eggs with his tail to keep them oxygenated and free of sediment or fungus. 

The eggs take about two to three months to hatch, depending on the water temperature. Once hatched, the larval hellbenders, complete with gills, remain near the nest for a short period before dispersing to find their own hiding spots among rocks and debris.  

Because hellbenders rely on such specific water quality and habitat conditions for breeding, any disturbance to their environment, such as sedimentation, pollution or dams, can severely disrupt their reproductive success. That’s why preserving clean, cold-water habitats is essential for the long-term survival of this ancient species. 

Here are some ways you can help:

1. Protect clean water. 

  • Reduce runoff: Avoid using fertilizers and pesticides in your yard, especially near waterways. 
  • Use rain barrels or native plants: These help reduce erosion and keep streams clear. 
  • Pick up after pets: Their waste can wash into waterways and add harmful bacteria. 

2. Leave natural habitats alone. 

  • If you’re exploring a stream, don’t move rocks or disturb the riverbed. Hellbenders hide under large flat stones, so moving these can destroy their homes or expose them to predators. 

3. Join a stream clean-up. 

  • Trash and sediment clog the clear, cool streams hellbenders need. Joining a cleanup or adopting a local stream helps protect their habitat. 

4. Respect them. 

  • If you’re fishing and catch a hellbender, release it back into the water. 
  • Don't kill a hellbender. It’s illegal to do so. 
  • Don’t sell or keep a hellbender as a pet, which are also illegal. 

How to see a hellbender 

Hellbender 
Hungars the eastern hellbender 

The next time you’re at Hungry Mother State Park, head to the visitor center to meet Hungars, the park’s rescued eastern hellbender.  

His story began in 2016 when the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center found six hellbender eggs that had been abandoned by the male. It’s very rare for the male to leave the nest, so it was assumed that he had died.  

The AWCC relocated the eggs to the Buller’s Fish Hatchery and raised them. Unable to keep them all, the AWCC put them up for adoption. With help from the Lego Club out of Abingdon, Virginia, and the Friends of Hungry Mother State Park, the Marion-based park was able to adopt one of the hellbenders. 

How did Hungars get his name? Well, the park held a contest, and Ava Creger from Rural Retreat came up with the winning name, Hungars, as Hungry Mother Creek was known as Hungar's Mother's Creek sometime back in the early 1800s.  

Hellbender
Hungars eating a crawfish

Thanks to former Education Support Specialist Hana Hess, the park was able to find out that Hungars was, in fact, a male. Hess went on to become a vet, and one of her projects at school dealt with hellbender DNA. So, she took a sample of Hungars' DNA and tested it. 

Today, you can visit Hungars at the park, and you might catch interpreters showing visitors how they feed him. Chief Ranger of Visitor Experience Tayna Hall, who has been helping care for Hungars since the beginning, says he loves playing in his oxygen bubbles and is healthy and growing.  


To learn more about Hungry Mother State Park and to start planning your trip, visit www.virginiastateparks.gov/hungry-mother.  

If you’d like to read more about Hurricane Helene’s impact on the eastern hellbender population and the partnership between DWR and Virginia Tech, go to https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/hurricane-helene-took-a-toll-on-virginias-eastern-hellbender-populations/.  

Sources 

DWR. (Jan. 13, 2025). Hurricane Helene Took a Toll on Virginia’s Eastern Hellbender Populations. https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/hurricane-helene-took-a-toll-on-virginias-eastern-hellbender-populations  

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If you have read the article and have a question, please email nancy.heltman@dcr.virginia.gov.

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