{"id":25162,"date":"2023-08-02T13:16:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T17:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=25162"},"modified":"2023-08-02T13:16:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T17:16:37","slug":"researchers-discover-young-hellbender-in-blue-river-dnr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/researchers-discover-young-hellbender-in-blue-river-dnr\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers Discover Young Hellbender in Blue River, IN DNR"},"content":{"rendered":"

Biologists with the\u00a0Indiana Department of Natural Resources<\/a> (DNR) and Purdue University recently\u00a0documented a very young hellbender salamander, a gilled larva, in the Blue River while conducting routine surveys in south-central Indiana. This discovery is significant because over the past three to four decades, only adult hellbenders have been documented in the Blue River. The presence of a young salamander suggests that conservation efforts and rearing programs are accomplishing their goals for the recovery of this endangered species.<\/p>\n

\"hellbender<\/a><\/p>\n

The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis<\/em>) is a large, fully aquatic salamander. Hellbenders do not reach sexual maturity until they are 7-8 years old and require specific habitats to thrive and reproduce. Their decline statewide has been documented as far back as the early-to-mid 1900s as a result of habitat loss and poor water quality. Hellbenders play an important role in aquatic ecosystems and are indicators of clean water.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinding hellbender larvae is a huge benchmark of the program\u2019s success,\u201d said DNR\u2019s Nate Engbrecht, the state herpetologist. \u201cIt tells us that there has been successful breeding, hatching, and recruitment in the wild. It\u2019s a wonderful sign that captive-reared and released hellbenders are doing what we want them to do at this site.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hellbender found by Engbrecht and Purdue hellbender program coordinator\u00a0Nick Burgmeier<\/a>\u00a0was a\u00a0gilled larva measuring 6.5 centimeters in total length with a 5 centimeter snout-vent length. Based on its size, this animal is estimated to be eight months old.<\/p>\n

While hellbender larvae may have been found by fisherman while seining over the years, none have been officially reported to the state herpetologist or to fisheries biologists of the Indiana DNR. The last documented juvenile was reported by William H. Kern Jr. in 1983.<\/p>\n

\"hellbenders<\/a><\/p>\n

In the event\u00a0anglers<\/a>\u00a0accidentally hook a hellbender, they are reminded to cut the line, let the salamander go unharmed and\u00a0report the sighting<\/a>\u00a0to a natural resource professional.<\/p>\n

The importance of the larval sighting is that it shows that the Help the Hellbender partnership\u2019s conservation\u00a0efforts, breeding and rearing programs are trending in a positive direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur early research on the lack of reproduction and recruitment indicated it was most likely the result of low population numbers,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. Rod Williams<\/a>, director of the Help the Hellbender lab at Purdue. \u201cFor the past 12 years, Purdue and zoo partners have worked tirelessly to rear and release animals back into the wild, increase population sizes, and ultimately the chance for natural breeding. This finding, the result of nearly two decades of collective effort, signifies a milestone for our conservation program. While we have much left to do, we have evidence our approach is working.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Indiana Hellbender Partnership is a collaboration between the Indiana DNR and Purdue University with funding support from the Indiana DNR Nongame Wildlife Fund, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and partners in local governments, universities, non-governmental organizations, and zoos that are working to recover the state-endangered hellbender. Developed over 15 years, the Indiana Hellbender Partnership is the largest and most comprehensive group working to recover an imperiled amphibian in Indiana.<\/p>\n

For full article please visit 2023 FNR News and Stories: Researchers Discover Young Hellbender in Blue River<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>Help the Hellbender website<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Help the Hellbender Facebook page<\/a>
\nAsk the Expert: Learn All About Hellbenders and Take a Tour<\/a>, Subscribe Purdue Extension \u2013 Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
\nAsk the Expert video:\u00a0Help the Hellbender \u2013 Dr. Stephen Spear of The Wilds<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nAsk the Expert video:\u00a0Live with Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens \u2013 Hellbenders<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nA Moment in the Wild video:\u00a0Hellbender Hide<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nA Moment in the Wild video:\u00a0Release Moment of Hellbenders<\/a>,
\nHow Anglers and Paddlers Can Help the Hellbender video<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nEastern Hellbender ID Video<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nHellbenders Rock!<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension\u2019s resource center
\nHelp the Hellbender, North America\u2019s Giant Salamander<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHow Our Zoos Help Hellbenders<\/a>, The Education Store
\nThe Nature of Teaching:\u00a0Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHealthy Water, Happy Home \u2013 Lesson Plan<\/a>, The Education Store
\nPurdue Expert: Hellbender Salamander<\/a>, Purdue University News YouTube Channel
\nFNR Assists in First Natural Breeding of Eastern Hellbender in Captivity<\/a>, Purdue FNR News & Stories
\nHelping the Hellbender: Mesker Park Zoo Begins Captive Breeding Efforts<\/a>, Purdue Agriculture News<\/p>\n

Indiana Department of Natural Resources<\/a> (IN DNR)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Biologists with the\u00a0Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Purdue University recently\u00a0documented a very young hellbender salamander, a gilled larva, in the Blue River while conducting routine surveys in south-central Indiana. This discovery is significant because over the past three to four decades, only adult hellbenders have been documented in the Blue River. The presence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,79,54],"tags":[381,256,196,232,451,619,72],"class_list":["post-25162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aquaculturefish","category-aqua","category-wildlife","tag-endangered-species","tag-fnr","tag-hellbender","tag-help-the-hellbender","tag-idnr","tag-indiana-department-of-natural-resources","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25162"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25201,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25162\/revisions\/25201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}