PA Gets An Official State Amphibian

Pennsylvania now has an official amphibian, one the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says has nicknames that include devil dog, lasagna lizard and snot otter.

And is it ugly.

The state House voted Tuesday to name the Eastern hellbender the official amphibian that also is sometimes called the Allegheny alligator and ground puppy.

According to the fish and wildlife service, the hellbender salamander is the largest salamander in the United States, growing up to 29 inches long although typically averaging between 12-t0-15 inches.They have flat bodies with flat heads, small dorsal eyes and folded,slimy skin and their tails are keeled to provide propulsion.

The Eastern hellbender is considered an indicator species due to its sensitivity to poor water quality and pollution, which helped it slip past the Wehrle’s salamander and claim the official amphibian title.

According to the measure the House approved, the Eastern hellbender was selected because its “sensitivity and status as an indicator species proves to be a positive symbol for water quality efforts in Pennsylvania.”

It might indeed be a positive symbol. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t ugly.

In this March 23, 2012, file photo, Ned S. Gilmore, collections manager of vertebrate zoology, shows a hellbender salamander in the collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is getting an official amphibian, a nocturnal salamander that can grow to be more than two feet long. The House voted 191-6 on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, to grant the honor to the Eastern hellbender, and Gov. Tom Wolf's office said he plans to sign it.