The Eastern hellbender, our nation’s largest salamander, is facing an alarming crisis. Its habitat and population are plummeting across much of its original range—from the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states to the southeastern corner of the country. Immediate action is crucial to prevent its further decline and possible extinction. Sign the petition to demand the Fish & Wildlife Service to protect the Eastern Hellbender!
Even in the remaining pockets where the Eastern hellbender can still be found, like the Susquehanna River basin in north-central Pennsylvania, a staggering 95 percent of its habitat has already vanished. Zero hellbenders have been found in Maryland the past 2 years.
Despite this, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) failed to provide protections under the Endangered Species Act in 2019. In response to our lawsuit challenging that decision, the FWS is now reconsidering the denial. This offers a critical opportunity to push again for the protection the hellbender desperately needs to survive. Now is your chance to make a difference and demand action!
The hellbender needs pristine, clean water to survive. It breathes through its skin, and relies on large, flat rocks on the stream bottoms for its habitat. Because of their high sensitivity to pollution and changes in erosion and sedimentation, they serve as important indicators of water quality and sediment concentration.
To ensure the next generation gets to meet the largest salamander, sign on today to protect the Eastern Hellbender!
P.S. Read more about the Eastern Hellbender through this amazing e-magazine from Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper here.
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