By Tom Howarth
Science Reporter (Nature)
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In a significant step for conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed listing the eastern hellbender salamander as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
This move comes after years of advocacy and increasing concern over the health of the species, which inhabits streams and rivers across 15 states, including New York, Georgia and Tennessee.
"The eastern hellbender is a unique salamander that plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems," Will Meeks, service Midwest regional director at the USFWS, said in a statement.
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"As key indicators of stream and river health, hellbenders need protection that also will help support healthier ecosystems across their range."
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So revered is this creature—also known to some as the snot otter, devil dog, the Allegheny alligator or the lasagna lizard—that in 2019 legislators voted to make it Pennsylvania's State Amphibian.
However, the species is under threat. Once documented in 626 populations, recent data show a dramatic decline, with only 371 populations remaining—59 percent of the historical range.
Of these, only 12 percent are stable, while 59 percent are actively declining. Habitat loss, poor water quality, sedimentation, disease and collection for the pet trade are primary threats to the species' survival.
"The primary threat eastern Hellbenders is sedimentation, and sedimentation is the addition of fine soil particles to streams," Jeromy Applegate, a fish and wildlife biologist at USFWS, told Newsweek.
"Sedimentation comes from farm fields, construction sites, logging operations and it fills in those spaces between small rocks on the bottom of streams and rivers," he said.
The spaces between small rocks are especially important to young hellbenders, who depend on them as their habitat.
These salamanders, which can grow up to 29 inches long and live for three decades, depend on clean, cool streams for survival.
They breathe through their skin, adapted with folds to increase oxygen absorption. This reliance on pristine water makes them vulnerable to environmental degradation.
The Fight to Protect Hellbender Salamanders
The proposal follows more than a decade of pressure from conservation groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity.
In 2010, the Center petitioned for federal protections for eastern hellbenders. While a Missouri-specific population was granted endangered status in 2021, range-wide protections were initially denied. A court ruling mandated a reevaluation, culminating in this new proposal.
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"No one has ever looked at a hellbender and thought, 'Well, that's boring.' They are so remarkable that people are just drawn to them," Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center, told Newsweek.
"I love talking about them because people who have never heard of them are astounded that these prehistoric giants are quietly ruling river bottom communities up and down the eastern half of the country."
Significance of the Listing
If finalized, the listing would prohibit activities that harm, harass or kill the species and require federal agencies to consult USFWS on projects that could affect hellbender habitats.
Advocates hope the protections will spur broader efforts to restore water quality across the hellbender's range.
The eastern hellbender joins its cousin, the Ozark hellbender, which has been listed as endangered since 2011. Recent genetic studies suggest there may be as many as five distinct species of hellbenders, potentially broadening conservation needs.
"This will bring funding for projects like working with landowners to plant trees along creeks and rivers and removing old dams that no longer serve a purpose," Curry said.
"Every action we take for hellbenders will make drinking water safer and rivers cleaner for fishing and recreation."
Applegate agreed, saying, "If we can serve eastern hellbenders by improving habitat—for example, through reducing sedimentation—we improve habitats for all the other animals and plants that live in those streams and rivers."
Hellbenders Are Living Fossils
Hellbenders are often called "living fossils" for their resemblance to ancient amphibians from 160 million years ago.
Their closest relatives are the giant salamanders of China and Japan, which face similar threats from habitat destruction.
The public can comment on the proposal when it appears in the Federal Register on December 13. Officials will consider feedback during the 60-day comment period before making a final decision.
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Update 12/17/24, 1:03 p.m. ET: The article was updated with comment from Jeromy Applegate.
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