by Sarah Tomke (Fall 2023)

As a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Forestry and Natural Resources department, I am studying the current distribution and population status of an imperiled aquatic salamander species in Kentucky, the Eastern hellbender. Eastern hellbenders are declining rapidly across their range in the eastern United States due to habitat and water degradation; however, we know very little about where they exist or how their populations are doing in Kentucky. To answer these questions, I collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from over 90 sites across the state to determine if hellbenders are present or absent at those locations. I then conducted snorkeling surveys at our eDNA-positive sites in an attempt to find these elusive and cryptic animals. If a hellbender was found, our research team weighed and measured the individual to approximate its age and inserted a PIT tag (similar to a microchip) so we could identify it later. Additionally, with the help of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, we placed artificial nest boxes at our sites to determine if hellbenders are successfully reproducing in these streams. Help protect hellbenders in Kentucky by keeping our streams clean and beautiful. If you see a hellbender, safely release the animal back where you found it and report it to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Learn more about the Forest and Natural Resource Sciences Graduate Program at the University of Kentucky.