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Animal Guide

Eastern Hellbender

43 destinations · 23 states

Native Range
Eastern United States, especially the Appalachian region

The eastern hellbender is a giant salamander that looks almost designed for life under a river rock. Its broad, flattened body and wrinkled folds of skin help it blend into the rocky streambeds of its native range, where it spends much of its time underwater. Those loose folds are more than unusual decoration. They increase the surface area available for absorbing oxygen through the skin, allowing the hellbender to rely heavily on its skin for breathing. Watch one move across an aquarium bottom and you'll notice its small eyes, paddle-like limbs, and long tail working together as it searches beneath rocks for crayfish, fish, worms, and other prey. During the day, it often stays tucked beneath stones, becoming more active after dark. A hellbender can also remain surprisingly still while waiting for food to pass nearby. At a zoo or aquarium, seeing this secretive amphibian out in the open offers a rare look at a creature built for cool, clean streams and a life spent mostly below the surface.

Eastern Hellbender

Where to see Eastern Hellbender

43 destinations across 23 states

43 destinations

Abilene Zoo

Abilene, TX

ABQ BioPark Zoo

Albuquerque, NM

Aquarium of the Pacific

Long Beach, CA

Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NY

Chattanooga Zoo

Chattanooga, TN

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland, OH

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Powell, OH

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

Bridgeport, CT

Dallas Zoo

Dallas, TX

Detroit Zoo

Royal Oak, MI

Essex County Turtle Back Zoo

West Orange, NJ

Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth, TX

Houston Zoo

Houston, TX

Hutchinson Zoo

Hutchinson, KS

Lake Superior Zoo

Duluth, MN

Lehigh Valley Zoo

Schnecksville, PA

Louisville Zoo

Louisville, KY

Mesker Park Zoo

Evansville, IN

Milwaukee County Zoo

Milwaukee, WI

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

Nashville, TN

Newport Aquarium

Newport, KY

North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

Pine Knoll Shores, NC

North Carolina Zoo

Asheboro, NC

Oglebay Good Zoo

Wheeling, WV

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Omaha, NE

Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

Pittsburgh, PA

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Syracuse, NY

Saint Louis Zoo

St. Louis, MO

Sedgwick County Zoo

Wichita, KS

Seneca Park Zoo

Rochester, NY

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Washington, DC

Tennessee Aquarium

Chattanooga, TN

The Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo, NY

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Baltimore, MD

The Wilds

Cumberland, OH

Toledo Zoo & Aquarium

Toledo, OH

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Living Museum

Newport News, VA

Western North Carolina Nature Center

Asheville, NC

Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

Springfield, MO

Zoo Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

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