Conservation Threats and Opportunities for the Giant Eastern Hellbender Salamander in the Susquehanna River Watershed

Elaine Langone Center, Room 241

Catastrophic flood events, urban development, road and highway construction, industrial discharge, and forestry and agricultural practices have all impacted the ecology of streams and rivers in the Susquehanna River watershed in ways that have restricted, diminished, or eliminated quality habitat for the giant Eastern Hellbender salamander. In addition, crayfish invasions and amphibian disease epidemics have further stressed hellbender populations. The Eastern Hellbender has experienced range-wide local extinctions since the late 1990s and is currently a candidate species for federal listing as threatened or endangered. Conservation efforts to restore the giant salamander to its former range have been constrained by past land use practices and multiple stressors, but innovative methods to restore salamander populations have already yielded impressive results. Instream habitat structures have been installed to serve as salamander habitat and are already occupied by wild hellbender populations. The rearing of hellbenders from eggs to adult size by conservation organizations is nearing completion and captive-reared animals will soon be released to restore or augment declining populations