Eastern Hellbenders Arrive at the Family Nature Center

There’s a brand new native species that guests can meet in the Family Nature Center in White River Gardens! Earlier this summer, four eastern hellbenders moved into a water tank that mimics their natural environment.

We’re raising hellbenders with Purdue University and other zoos in the region. The goal is to provide a safe environment for reproduction and eventually to release them back into the wild.

You may not have heard of hellbenders, but you might know them under another name. Appropriately nicknamed after their mucus-covered skin, the eastern hellbender is often called snot otter, mud devil or old lasagna sides. They may not be the cutest lizards, but they are distinguished as the largest aquatic salamander in North America.

Making their homes in rivers and streams, hellbenders utilize skin folds on the sides of their body that function like gills to stay almost exclusively under water. Unfortunately, their habitat is being contaminated by excess soil and chemicals. The polluted water makes it difficult for the hellbender to hunt, hide and breathe.

Here are a couple of ways you can help. By properly disposing of household chemicals, you can avoid spreading them into ponds, creeks and waterways. You can also protect hellbenders by sharing your knowledge of them to your family and friends.