Have you ever heard of a Hellbender?

If someone were to ask you what a Hellbender was, would you know?  To be honest in my mind, I instantly thought, isn't that a movie with Ron Perlman?  But no, that's Hellboy, two different things.

But still kind of freaky and exciting (so I guess a little bit like Hellboy?) Hellbenders are a species of aquatic salamanders and according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo Institute they're America's largest salamander!

Mesker Park Zoo recently posted a video to their facebook page of a female Hellbender, and you can tell in the video just how big she is! She came to the care of Mesker Park Zoo from their Indiana Conservation Partners. She was found in a territory in Indiana that had no male Hellbenders. So she was brought to Mesker Park Zoo to be put into their stream where she could be with other adult Hellbenders as this is very important for their species.

So there ya go! You learn something new everyday, I learned what in the Hellbender a Hellbender was! If you want to learn more, check out Mesker Park Zoo! They're having BOGO admission all month of November too BTW (buy an adult, get a child admission free!)

 

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