Postcards from a Salamander
Assignment 1, eco postcards
Hi, friend!
I am so stoked to be your pen pal. To introduce myself, I am Cryptobranchus alleganiensis but I go by Eastern the Hellbender. I’m from Columbus, Ohio but I have family in New York, the Appalachian states, and I even have one uncle all the way out in Missouri! Where are you from? My family, the Cryptobranchidae, is known for being giant salamanders. In fact, my species are the largest in North America! As a kid, I was only 20 mm tall. However, unlike some other species, I grow indeterminately and can reach up to 28 inches. Fun fact: While my genus and family names include the word “crypto-” I am actually considered a cryptic species! My coloring blends in with my natural habitat.
I am excited to get to know you throughout our postcards. Question of the week: what’s your favorite food?
Warm regards,
Eastern
Me, Eastern, at home.
Hello there friend!
I’ve never had spaghetti! What makes pasta your favorite food? Personally, my favorite food is crayfish. Sometimes, I even eat insects, smaller fish, smaller salamanders, and hellbender larvae. I prefer to eat at night by scavenging the bottom of the river I live in and using my powerful suction feeding to catch my prey. I heard recently that your species has gotten into genetic ancestry for holiday gifts. One fun fact about my food and ancestry is my family’s balance within the ecosystem for the past 65 million years. While I eat the smaller prey, larger predators, such as trout and other hellbenders, eat me as well. Luckily, I have several ways to sense predation from my home. I am incredibly sensitive to the movement and chemical signals in the water near me.
I can’t wait to hear from you again. Question of the week: What type of home do humans create for themselves where you live?
Sincerely,
Eastern
Me, Eastern, showing off my smile
Hi!
Wow! Human homes in your area sound fascinating! I guess you could say I am somewhat of a homebody. My species and I are known to be relatively solitary. I am not a fan of unannounced visitors though and tend not to travel far unless absolutely necessary or moved by conservationists. My home is made of the coziest rocks on the riverbed. Here, I can burrow for mating seasons, snooze during the daytime, and hide from predators. One crucial thing to a perfect home is the water flowing through. Here, I am incredibly picky. Some even call me nature’s fire-alarm. I need pristine, flowing water. I breathe through my skin so the flowing water keeps oxygen present to me and the cleanliness keeps me healthy. Here’s a picture of me in simulated ideal water.
I did have a question for you. Humans seem to be in all sorts of trouble. Do conservationists help you too?
With much affection,
Eastern
Me in my second tank!
Hi there!
Have humans ever thought of creating human-conservationists? Sometimes they can be rather annoying, and sometimes you can win a new home from them. Many scientists and conservationists want to study how I’ve evolved to resist certain diseases, how I function as an environment alert system, and more! In Ohio, some conservationists have been gathering unhatched baby hellbenders, raising them in tanks, and releasing them once they’ve grown to maturity. To my understanding, this helps for many reasons. Many unhatched hellbenders are victim to predation which makes growing more and more families very difficult.
Another benefit to conservationist efforts is the creation and maintenance of rivers and relocation of hellbenders to better environments. Personally, my family once lived in creeks all over Ohio. Unfortunately, those creeks became polluted with silt and sometimes our habitats would be destroyed or reorganized for “natural rock art”. I was raised inside a tank for some time and then released into a new river. This is especially helpful as I am not much of a climber or traveler.
I look forward to your next postcard!
With love,
Eastern