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New population of hellbender salamanders found in Butler County

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A new population of hellbender salamanders was found in Butler County by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE reported.

The "surprise" population was discovered in an unnamed waterway over the summer while a conservancy crew conducted stream stabilization work, Eric Chapman, director of aquatic science for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, told TribLIVE.

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Researchers looking for the salamander in the Kiski and Youghiogheny rivers, as well as some other locations, came up empty over the summer, TribLIVE was told.

The hellbender salamander -- nicknames for which include snot otter, lasagna lizard and mud devil -- is Pennsylvania's official amphibian. It can grow to more than two feet long.

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