Once thriving now declining Only a few pockets of ideal hellbender habitat remain
regurgitated piec - es of recently de - voured and partially digested crayfish. A few minutes later, it
spewed out a few addi - tional segments represent - ing at least one additional crayfish, if not more. “These guys are obviously eating well,” observed Dr. Peter Petokas as he continued to examine this specific hellbender – one of several he and a student caught and studied in mid-July as part of ongoing research in the middle Susquehanna watershed. “This one has grown quite a bit since we saw it last!” Using electronic tags inserted during pre - vious field testing, Petokas has been able to check certain animals and monitor growth
As it splashed around in the bottom of a small translucent Tupperware container awaiting measurement in a plastic pipe fitted with measuring tape, an Eastern hellbender
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