Sports

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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LYCOMING COUNTY – Looking at the clear, tranquil stream that meandered through farm country, one wouldn’t think that a creature with an ominous name like hellbender would inhabit the depths of the picturesque setting.

But the stream, and several tributaries to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, are home to the continent’s largest salamanders. Thanks to a State Wildlife Grant from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Dr. Peter Petokas has spent the last several years researching the secretive creature, trying to shed some light on a species known more for its fearful name than anything else.

Petokas has caught and tagged more than 400 Eastern hellbenders – the largest measuring 26 inches. There are only two other salamander species in the world that grow larger than the hellbender – the Japanese and Chinese Giant Salamanders, both of which can reach five feet.

Petokas said the hellbender is an ancestral descendent of the giant species. His findings indicate the hellbender population is distributed in patches throughout the Susquehanna River and Allegheny River watersheds, but in most areas where they are found the populations are healthy.

Its enlightening news considering decades ago anglers tried to eradicate them from streams under the mistaken belief that hellbenders feed on trout. Petokas said 99 percent of the hellbenders’ diet consists of crayfish.

“It’s very important that people realize these animals are harmless and an integral part of our biodiversity,” he said.

“An interesting outcome of what we’re doing is the evidence that reproduction is occurring in the places we find them. But, when you consider how limited the habitat is, we do need to think about some protections for these areas.”

Hellbenders prefer stream environments with large, flat rocks and plenty of crayfish. Juvenile hellbenders are susceptible to predation from fish, herons and larger hellbenders. Adults can perish from an area when sediment coats the rocky stream bottom.

Petokas tags most of the specimens he catches with a glass-encapsulated radio transmitter. Using a syringe, he inserts the miniscule transmitter under the skin near the base of the tail. He will revisit the capture sites to monitor the population and growth of individuals.

“There’s so many in certain spots and they are so hard to catch that it’s going to take time to get a handle on the populations,” Petokas said. “These animals are ugly and very sedentary, but they appeal to me. Studying hellbenders gives me a chance to learn about the stream environment from a new perspective.”

And clear up a few misconceptions.

“People think they’re poisonous, they bite, they eat trout and trout eggs. They’re viewed as harmful, but that’s not the case,” Petokas said. “I hope my work clears up these misunderstandings.”