The Hellbender

Giant Salamander Of The United States

When you think about where giant salamanders come from, most people would normally associate them with China and Japan. Yet while it is true that almost all members of the giant salamander family, the Cryptobranchidae, originate in Asia there is one species which calls the eastern United States its home.
It is Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, known otherwise and popularly as the hellbender.