It is also locked in battle between its perilous decline and valiant struggle for survival. Hiding beneath a pile of rocks in a clear mountain stream flowing from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina lurks North America’s largest salamander, the Eastern hellbender.
(Copyright photo courtesy Freshwaters Illustrated/Dave Herasimtschuk) Hellbenders need clean streams with high water quality and silt-free streambeds to find their prey and avoid predators. The Eastern hellbender is the largest salamander in North America, reaching lengths of up to 24 inches.
