Ozark Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi
The Ozark hellbender is a strictly aquatic amphibian found in Ozark streams of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. This subspecies of hellbender is listed as endangered because a rapid decline in numbers and range have left only small, isolated populations. Also, the hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), including both the Ozark hellbender and the eastern hellbender, have been included in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) to protect both subspecies from declines due to international trade.
Photo by Missouri DOC; Jeff Briggler |
Natural History Information
Ozark Hellbender Fact Sheet
Sept. 9, 2010: Missouri Net online interview with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Charlie Scott about the Ozark Hellbender
Podcast about the Ozark Hellbender
Ozark Hellbender: Out from Under a Rock (PDF): pages 22 to 24 from the Endangered Species Technical Bulletin, Spring 2008.
Recovery
Ozark Hellbender Recovery Plan Outline (June 2012) (13-page PDF )
World's First Captive Hellbender Breeding
Ozark Hellbender Action Plan (7-page PDF )
Listing Information
News Release (Oct. 5, 2011): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists the Ozark Hellbender as Endangered and Moves to Include Hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES
Hellbenders are among the world’s largest salamanders
Summary of the Rule to
List the Ozark Hellbender as Endangered
Federal Register Final Rule: Endangered Status for the Ozark Hellbender Salamander (94-page PDF)
Federal Register Final Rule: Inclusion of the Hellbender, Including the Eastern Hellbender and the Ozark Hellbender, in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (30-page PDF)
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