Caring for (Cryptids), Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, The Eastern Hellbender

Written By: Andrew Connolly
Two eyes peered out at me from under a rock. Then it struck. In a flash a slate-gray head popped out and ripped the worm from my tongs before sinking back into the darkness. It was another successful hunt for this mysterious animal, an animal known as the Eastern Hellbender. This feeding routine is a part of my job here at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, my job caring for the Eastern Hellbender.
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Every morning I start my day in the Kathy Brady Education Center, where I turn on the lights in the habitats, say good morning to all the animals, and then turn my attention to the largest habitat in the building, the approximately 300-gallon tank that holds Eastern Hellbenders. These giant salamanders, which grow up to two-and-a-half feet in length, spend their life underwater in the cold, fast flowing streams of the Appalachia region. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, which benefits an animal that breathes through its skin. We keep our chiller set to a crisp 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

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I draw up water samples from their habitat and test the water’s hardness, alkalinity, pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels, as well as the dissolved oxygen level. If the chemistry looks off, then I turn my attention to filling a 32-gallon bucket with filtered water for a ~10% water change. Using a handheld siphon and the power of gravity, I clean out the rocks and hides, or structures the animals can hide under, on the bottom while suctioning out water. I then take scrub brushes and clean the hides, rocks, walls, and trees that encompass the habitat. Once the water is removed and items are cleaned, I then pump water back in before lifting and dumping what remains into the habitat. Talk about a morning workout! Once the water is replaced, items are cleaned, and animals are happy, I can then step away to give them time to relax before everyone’s favorite time of the day: Meal Time!

What do you feed an Eastern Hellbender? Here at the zoo, we feed a mixed diet of worms, shrimp, and mice and rat pinkies! We use large (emphasis on the word large) tongs to pick up each item and drop it down into the frigid water, bringing it close for these ambush hunters to strike. In a flash their head darts towards the food before swallowing it whole and slinking back into the shadows. After feeding comes the time to observe. We watch them hide and burrow in the rocks. We might see them creep along the bottom of their habitat to a different spot to lounge. If we are lucky, we may see them swim in their full glory, flipping, flopping, and flailing along in a clumsy arc through the water before crashing back down to the ground below. It is a sight to behold.
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Now this is just the daily care I’ve covered so far. What else does animal care require on a semi-regular basis?

• Changing UV sterilizer bulbs using rubber gloves to protect the delicate bulb. (15-minute task)
• Weighing the hellbenders on a regular basis to track growth and health.  (25-minute task)
• Cleaning filter pads and media monthly and replacing them on a set schedule. (45-minute task)
• Cleaning the chiller unit (10-minute task)
• Measuring the length of the hellbenders on a regular basis to track growth. (25-minute task)
• Cleaning and scrubbing EVERY rock on the bottom of the tank. (2–3-day task)
• Cleaning the exterior of the tank and wiping away water spots (20 minute task)

 
But in this job and this role you learn so much more and you take in so many precious moments.  You get to learn why the Eastern Hellbender is an amazing aquatic organism.