Say it aint so!!

It's a very sad thing when our beautiful Ozark streams show serious signs of deterioration of aquatic habitat and water quality.  The recent decision to extend Endangered Species protection to the Ozark Hellbender is an indication of just that. 

Although we may think that hellbenders are ugly, they are part of God's good creation.  Who am I to argue with God's point of view. 

The ducks have a support group called Ducks Unlimited.  The pheasants have Pheasants Forever.  And the hellbenders have a website dedicated to the conservation of hellbenders. www.hellbenders.org 
According to Missouri Dept. of Conservation data, Ozark hellbenders have declined 77% in 20 years.  A lack of young animals in the population indicates either poor reproduction or poor survival of young or both.  Possible threats to hellbenders include poor water quality, in-stream gravel mining, removal of large flat rocks from stream beds, and free access by cattle to rivers which increases siltation and nitrification. 

This is the news from November 7: 

Ozark Hellbenders Listed as Endangered (from the website of The Wildlife Society)  joomla.wildlife.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=931#hellbenders

On 7 November 2011 the Ozark Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) will be officially designated as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) under the Endangered Species Act. A subspecies of the hellbender, this aquatic salamander is found in the Ozark streams of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri and grows to about two feet in length. Known as one of the largest salamanders in the world, it is characterized by a flattened body, a greenish-brown color, and fleshy folds on the sides of its body. The hellbender is in decline largely due to the spread of Chytridiomycosis (chytrid fungus), a fungal disease that is decimating amphibian populations globally. Other threats to this salamander include habitat loss, poor water quality, sedimentation, and the introduction of pharmaceuticals into the water supply that disrupt hormone levels and decrease reproduction rates. The Ozark hellbender was federally listed as a candidate species in 2001 and gained endangered status under Missouri state law in 2003. Despite newly gained federal protections the FWS will not designate critical habitat for the hellbender due to concerns that collectors from the international pet trade would abuse this information. The Ozark Hellbender, as well as another subspecies, the eastern hellbender, will also gain international protection as a decision was finalized to list the two subspecies under Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Sources: Federal Register, FWS, Scientific American, E&E Publishing LLC (E&E News PM).