Sound Production by the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)

Amber L. Pitt^1,* and Sean M. Hartzell²

¹Environmental Science Program, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106. ²Division of Environmental Services, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, 595 East Rolling Ridge Drive, Bellefonte, PA 16823. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 33, Issue 2 (2026): N30–N32

First published early online: 4 May 2026

Abstract
Sound production by salamanders has been noted in several species in association with defensive and aggressive behaviors, courtship, and possibly serving as a broader means of intraspecific communication. Sound production in salamanders remains sparsely studied. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Hellbender) are imperiled, fully aquatic stream salamanders native to the eastern US. While doing capture–mark–recapture surveys to assess the population status of Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis (Eastern Hellbender) in a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, a captured adult Eastern Hellbender produced a whistle-like sound during processing. Additionally, another adult Eastern Hellbender produced a similar sound while being handled during a captive study. While a variety of salamander species have been found to emit sounds when faced with predators or being handled, these appear to be the first documented observations of Hellbenders producing sound.

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