A Western Pennsylvania Conservancy stream stabilization crew this summer discovered a new population of hellbender salamanders in Butler County.
TribLive.com reported that conservancy researchers tasked with finding hellbenders in the Kiski and Youghiogheny rivers, and associated waterways, failed to find any of the snot otters, which earlier this year became Pennsylvania’s official state amphibian.
But a conservancy crew working on stream stabilization in an unnamed waterway in Butler County found a new population.
The presence of hellbenders in a waterway indicates extremely clean water, which is critical in hellbender habitat...
The eastern hellbender is the Americas’ largest salamander. It can reach 12-29 inches in length and weigh as much as 5 pounds at maturity...
Other common names for the animal are Allegheny alligator, devil dog, grampus, lasagna lizard, Leverian water newt, mud devil, mud dog, snot otter and water dog...
More at link - https://www.pennlive.com/life/2019/1...nia-water.html
I need to find one of these guys!