Meet Sally the Snot Otter!
Sally is an Eastern Hellbender Salamander and a unique and endearing partner to our mission at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy. We call her Sally, but the Hellbender is known by several other names… “mud devil,” “devil dog,” “lasagna lizard,” and our personal favorite, “snot otter.”
Growing up to 29 inches in length, Sally has the distinction of being the largest salamander in the United States AND the official state amphibian in Pennsylvania!
Hellbenders are mostly nocturnal and live in shallow, fast-flowing and rocky streams. They depend on cool, well-oxygenated water to survive. With a life-span of up to 50 years, the presence of Hellbenders is a good indicator of long-term stream health. Their diet consists mostly of crayfish, but they will branch out to small fish and hellgrammites when crayfish are not available.
We thought she was a great choice to grace the logo of our Water Chestnut Removal Project. Through the Water Chestnut Removal program, Conservancy staff and volunteers work to remove this highly invasive aquatic plant from local waterways. Learn More
I think it’s safe to say that Sally approves of this project and our overall mission to protect our land and water resources. While not considered endangered, the Hellbender’s habitat is threatened by the accumulation of silt, pollution and the channelization and impoundment of rivers & streams. In addition, the construction of dams results in warming waters and reduced oxygen levels rendering an area inhospitable to our slimy friend.
Welcome, Sally, to the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy family and we hope we get a chance to see you out there!