Just clarifying for the sake of information.
As a side note, how successful have breeding/reintroduction programs been for these guys?
As a side note, how successful have breeding/reintroduction programs been for these guys?
It is illegal to own Hellbenders, right?
- Thread starter AU_Arowana-RG
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I've read in a few places that you may need a permit for scientific or zoological purposes as this is a protected salamander in some states (populations fluctuate wildly through out their natural range).
http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/09/08/2010-22251/inclusion-of-the-hellbender-including-the-eastern-hellbender-and-the-ozark-hellbender-in-appendix
If you have the tenacity to tackle all the legal jargon it's slated to become a protected species from what I understand. I cannot find the other article I was looking for but if you go to:
caudata.org
That site would be a major resource to you. Normally I would suggest speaking to your local wildlife authority but I see you are way over in the phillipines. I wish you good luck finding what you're looking for it doesn't seem to clear to me.
Maxx
http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/09/08/2010-22251/inclusion-of-the-hellbender-including-the-eastern-hellbender-and-the-ozark-hellbender-in-appendix
If you have the tenacity to tackle all the legal jargon it's slated to become a protected species from what I understand. I cannot find the other article I was looking for but if you go to:
caudata.org
That site would be a major resource to you. Normally I would suggest speaking to your local wildlife authority but I see you are way over in the phillipines. I wish you good luck finding what you're looking for it doesn't seem to clear to me.
Maxx
I don't know the legal status of the hellbender internationally, but it is protected in much of its range due to declining populations. I have heard of at least one zoo breeding program. I don't know of any restocking efforts so far. Their problems are mostly with habitat alteration (especially dams) and pollution, so restocking won't do much good until those conditions are improved.
I believe Chinese giant salamanders are bred for food in some parts of China. I don't know if they have made it onto the pet market.
I believe Chinese giant salamanders are bred for food in some parts of China. I don't know if they have made it onto the pet market.
Except in West Virginia. We don't have a state endangered/threatened species list, so we go strictly by the feds. Since they are not federally listed, it is legal to collect hellbenders in WV with a fishing license. I work at a zoo where we are participating in a hellbender research program here in Wheeling. They have never been successfully bred in captivity (St. Louis Zoo did have a spawning, but the eggs didn't take); and we (Oglebay's Good Zoo) were the first zoo in the world to successfully rear a collected nest of eggs into the 12" juveniles they are today, three years later. We are slated to release the juveniles into three streams thoughout WV later this year (I will not disclose which ones, sorry). They will be PIT tagged and have telemetry units placed into their tails to track their movements/mortality. Some other zoos, including St. Louis, will be releasing some of the other babies we hatched later this year as well I believe ( we had soo bloody many we shared with a few other zoos). So, reintroduction programs are kinda just getting started. I have been working with hellbenders since 2007 and find them to be one of the coolest animals out there, downright prehistoric. We have a MONSTER 28" female on exhibit, and she is an absolute beast! On a side note--let me tell ya, hellbender hunting is hard freakin work lol the rocks they prefer to hide under are HUGE.
