![]() Although they are not listed as endangered or threatened, their fates are in our hands. Hellbenders are Pennsylvania’s state amphibian and North America’s largest salamander. Eastern hellbender: Pennsylvania's state amphibian and the country’s biggest salamander Because they are not yet of reproductive age, it’s too early to know how successful the program could be. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Toledo Zoo have been stocking young sturgeon in the Maumee River, which connects with the western end of Lake Erie. Overfishing “nearly eliminated” the species from the Great Lakes in the early 1900s, according to the U.S. On the other end of Pennsylvania, lake sturgeon have declined in Lake Erie, as they have in the rest of the Great Lakes. More: Nature at risk: This dinosaur-era fish of the Delaware River is on the brink NOAA Fisheries works with conservation organizations, energy companies, states, tribes, and citizens to evaluate barriers and improve fish passage,” the office says. ![]() “Removal of outdated dams or providing ways for fish to get around those dams can greatly improve Atlantic sturgeon access to historical habitats. “The primary threats currently facing Atlantic sturgeon are entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, habitat impediments, such as dams and other barriers, and vessel strikes,” says NOAA Fisheries, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The situation would likely be even worse for this federally endangered species if the Tocks Island Dam had been built, since dams on other waterways have blocked sturgeon migration. But as the Brodhead Watershed Associated noted over the summer, “Over-harvesting and other human impacts have shrunk the Delaware’s adult spawning population to fewer than 300.” More creepy creatures Albatwitches, squonks and chupacabras: A fun field guide to the cryptids of Central PA Atlantic and lake sturgeon: Big, bony fish disappearing by the numbersīig, bony-plated Atlantic sturgeon were once a plentiful source of food in the Delaware River. While you're at it, check this out Pocono Cryptids: Your online field guide to the beasts of northeast PA In the spirit of Halloween, here are a few spooky species to keep an eye on in Pennsylvania. These creatures aren’t cryptids - but if humans don’t pay attention to these species’ needs and habitats, sightings might become just as unlikely. ![]()
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