We are not talking about a dinosaur. We are talking about the Ozark hellbender—a large, permanently aquatic salamander found only in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.
Ozark hellbenders can exceed 20 inches and may live longer than 30 years. Most people will never see one because adults spend much of their lives beneath large, flat rocks in cool, clear, fast-flowing streams.
An incredible adaptation
Hellbenders take in oxygen through their loose, wrinkled skin. Those folds increase surface area for gas exchange, making cool, well-oxygenated water especially important.
Why they are endangered
The Ozark hellbender has been federally endangered since 2011. Threats include degraded water quality, impoundments, sedimentation, disease, collection, and small, isolated populations. Sediment can fill spaces under rocks, cover eggs, reduce young-animal habitat, and carry contaminants.
Stewardship matters
- Protect and restore streamside buffers.
- Reduce erosion with healthy vegetation.
- Keep sediment and excess nutrients out of streams.
- Preserve natural channels and rocky habitat.
Streams are only as healthy as the land that feeds them.