Inhabiting only two of New York State's river drainages, the eastern hellbender is an intriguing and bizarre animal and hails as the Americas' largest aquatic salamander.
Individuals usually sport dark mottling over the back and upper sides.
Several loose flaps of thick, wrinkled skin, which serve a respiratory function, run laterally along either side of the animal. These salamanders are perfectly adapted to their swift flowing stream habitats with their flattened head and body, short stout legs, long rudderlike tail, and very small beady eyes. Hellbenders are aquatic organisms throughout their life and remain active year-round. Hellbenders become active after dark, leaving shelter to forage, feeding primarily on crayfish, fish, frogs and a variety of invertebrates. Courtship and breeding begin in late summer.