The following passage is about the Eastern hellbender, a type of salamander found in North America. Select the best evidence to support the statement ‘Rocky river bottoms are vital to the Eastern hellbenders’ lifecycle.’ There may be more than one correct choice.
The Eastern hellbender, a mottled and wrinkly salamander, can reach unexpected sizes but remains hidden to most visitors to North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. ‘Even though they are these giant salamanders, they blend right into the bottom,’ said Jeff Humphries, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. ‘People often float right over top of two-foot salamanders and never notice.’
This nocturnal amphibian often hides under the same rock for its entire adult life span—up to thirty years—emerging at night to feed largely on crayfish. In recent efforts, Forest Service biologists who manage these waters have reached out to educate the thousands of people who enjoy the same streams while swimming, tubing, and boating. These same recreationists unknowingly disturb and destroy hellbender habitat.
Adapted from U.S. Forest Service, ‘An amphibian only a mother (or biologist) could love needs your attention’
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