Salamandering and Crayfishing in Southwest Missouri

Dr. Henry (Rob) Robison, Professor of Biology at Southern Arkansas University and co-author of the Fishes of Arkansas, as well as, the Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas, along with Garold Sneegas, an exceptional underwater photographer whose photos have appeared in many publications, met up with Brian Scheidt and me over the summer for some crayfishing in Southwest Missouri.

Brian and I had a couple of extra free days before we were to meet up with Rob and Garold, so we decided to do an overnight paddling trip on the Big Piney River in central Missouri. A friend that lives near the Big Piney had sent me a photo he took the previous summer of a large eastern hellbender he spotted from a canoe. This was a subspecies I had looked for before and failed to find on many occasions but, my friend’s photo had filled me with new hope. We spent the first, and almost all of the second, day carefully looking through any appropriate habitat we came across. While we saw many interesting fish and crayfish no salamanders were showing up at all. My hope of seeing a hellbender was quickly fading as we came closer to our take out spot. Finally, in the last bit of suitable habitat we came across, I spotted a rock that just screamed out hellbender. Upon lifting the rock, I submerged my mask into the water only to be disappointed once again. Nothing. But, while I was staring at nothing and wondering how such a great rock could not have a hellbender under it, it appeared, casually walking around the side of the rock. I was, of course, elated! I also had borrowed an underwater camera housing from a friend and this meant I got to try it out.