(LEX 18) — As populations of North America's largest salamanders have steeply declined, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife reports the discovery of two adult hellbenders last week as part of surveys on Green River.
According to the agency, any new observations of the hellbender give a "better picture of the status of current populations and help identify potential future release sites."
The animals were given a small Passive Integrated Transponder tag, measured, weighed and released. The tag, like microchips for dogs and cats, allows future researchers to know if the specific hellbender has been encountered before.
