{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "hellbender",
  "name": "Hellbender",
  "scientificName": "Cryptobranchus alleganiensis",
  "category": "Amphibian",
  "summary": "The hellbender is the largest salamander in North America, reaching up to 74 cm (29 in) long. It is fully aquatic, living its whole life in clean, fast-flowing streams where it breathes mainly through the wrinkled folds of its skin. Hellbenders are long-lived, often surviving 25 to 30 years.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Amphibia",
    "order": "Urodela",
    "family": "Cryptobranchidae",
    "genus": "Cryptobranchus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 1.5,
    "lengthM": 0.6,
    "topSpeedKmh": 3,
    "lifespanYears": 28
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Cryptobranchus alleganiensis"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (crayfish, small fish)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Clean, fast-flowing rocky streams and rivers"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "25–30 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Up to about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "30–74 cm (12–29 in) body length"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Cool, clean, fast-flowing rivers of the eastern and central United States, especially the Appalachian region.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Cryptobranchus%20alleganiensis&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Cryptobranchus alleganiensis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cryptobranchus_alleganiensis/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Hellbender.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hellbender/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hellbender/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}