August 19, 2007 - Hellbenders Welcome to the Nature Notebook. If you spend time around cold, clear streams or rivers with lots of rocks, you just might encounter a “devil dog.” That’s one name for Pennsylvania’s largest salamander. More commonly known as hellbenders, these flat-headed, baggy-skinned creatures can reach lengths of over two feet. An old belief that hellbenders ruin good trout streams couldn’t be farther from the truth. These harmless amphibians need cold, clear streams and rivers with sheltering rocks, habitat similar to what trout require. That makes hellbenders excellent indicators of good quality streams. Hellbenders feed primarily on crayfish and occasionally small fish. In turn, anglers sometimes catch them. If you would happen to catch one of these rare salamanders, don’t kill it. Instead, remove the hook and return it to the waters from which it came. Hellbender populations need our help to survive in Pennsylvania streams. This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.