(Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)
             Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis is the largest
             North American salamander, ranging in length from 30.5 to 74 cm
             (Niering 1985). Eastern Hellbenders are members of the order of
             tailed amphibians, Caudata and the family, Cryptobranchidae.
             Along with C. a. bishopi, the Ozark Hellbender, it is one of the
             two subspecies of hellbenders, also known as the Allegheny
             C. a. alleganiensis is perennially aquatic, preferring clear
             fast-moving rivers or large streams with rocky bottoms. Most
             are found in water 12 to 46 cm deep and tend to avoid areas with
             thick layers of silt (Hillis and Bellis 1971). It ranges from
             the Susquehanna River and its tributaries in New York and
             Pennsylvania to the Ohio River and its tributaries including the
             Allegheny, which gives it its species name, westward to the
             Mississippi River and southward to Missouri, Arkansas, and
             Georgia. It has also been recorded in Iowa (Bishop 1943).
             C. a. alleganiensis has a dorsoventrally flattened body and
             a laterally flattened tail. The tail is the main means of
             locomotion, but the hellbender can also crawl when seeking refuge
             (Hillis and Bellis 1971). C. a. alleganiensis is dark gray or
             olive-brown with a mottled or spotted pattern on its dorsal
             surface. The ventral surface is a lighter shade with few
             markings (Niering 1985). The male and female are similar in
             appearance, but the male is broader and heavier than a female of
             the same length. Eyelids are absent. It has five toes on its
             hind feet and four on the fore feet, most of which develop during
             C. a. alleganiensis is nocturnal, spending its days hiding
             under rocks with only the tip of its broad head exposed. It
             exhibits diurnal behavior only during its mating season which
             occurs in late summer or early fall depending on geographic
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