Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) are extremely large, completely aquatic salamanders native to the eastern United States. The largest hellbender ever recorded was nearly 21/2 ft. long.
Below: Mizuki Takahashi holding an Andrias japonicus, or Japanese Giant Salamander, while visiting my home country.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vIf14uJLv1jWBcDtjWm3Nydx14fuuMGa9xtxMX8KSj3fAC5SkZT0TJsZPgauLRw3sa-FiEVoaNG6Cq7LmuL0VT5CF1F5ZOTfQ9bqCMlKptcpf9fIg_fTaVhdqMwhlUI9mxKEGhyDZWZJ4=s0-d)