WV Part 2

The next leg in our trip is one that I was fairly spectacular. While the weather was still nice, it was not very hot. It would have been better if it was another 5 to 10 degrees warmer, as we decided to go check a creek for hellbenders. Wading through a creek when the weather is still cool (73 degrees), just does not seem right. But how can you resist looking for hellbenders. So we went down to the creek and within the first 15 minutes my friend found the first hellbender of the day. This was my first time every looking for hellbenders, and they are state endangered in my state, so I was very excited to see one.

In total we found 8 benders in about a 3-4 hour time span. They are truly one of the most fascinating creatures I have ever seen. They are a creature that I will definitely admire and respect. And I also now know why their nickname is "snot otter". Below are a few pictures of three individuals we took pictures of.

The first one we found. Didn't think about sexing it.


Female


Juvenile



The whole trip was a wonderful experience. We saw some great creatures and had a great time, not only herping, but taking in the entire scenery. While I was able to snap some great shots, I owe it to my friend who basically organized the trip. For me at least, seeing these guys was definitely the climax of the trip.

Very nice pics! Did you see any evidence of mutations in any of the hellbenders?

Are any of those pictures big enough to enter in the calendar photo contest? Please consider it!

edit: I posted this before I saw your other threads where people suggested the same thing.

louise said:

Very nice pics! Did you see any evidence of mutations in any of the hellbenders?

Click to expand...

We didn't notice any mutation in the hellbenders that we found.