Reptile & Amphibian Forums

n/p

You could probably get one imported from Japan for about $20,000-$50,000 dollars. The only ones in the U.S. are in zoos I believe, so I doubt you will find a private breeder in the states. They are a species threatened by development of river systems in Asia, and extensive conservation work is being done with them. Maybe you should just go for a hell bender, they are somewhat smaller, but they are related, and you could probably find someone to sell you one of those.

How big do hellbenders get.Because i want a large anphibian.

The largest documented hellbender was somewhere around 30 inches long, and given ample space and a consistent food source, they could possibly reach that in captivity.

No pun intended I know experiance keepers that found keeping this species in captivity a challenge. They are protected here in NC and dwell in some of the Mountain rivers/streams. Temperatures in these waters maintain below 58F year round. How does one create this environment in captivity? The water also needs to be super clean and fast moving. Unless you have the equiptment and resources, this would be near impossible to achieve. What state do you live in?

Well, it may not be cheap but it is fairly easy to provide the right environment. First you should start out with the largest tank you can a hold of 150 gallon minimum, and then loaded with powerheads for current and a large aquarium cooler to maintain the temperature. The cooler will run you about 400 for a good one, or you could make your own for about 150. All said and done you'll spend at least a grand.

Yep, a very expensive undertaking, but much cheaper than getting a Japanese or Chinese giant!!! Chryptobranchids are very unique animals, and I wasn't necessarily suggesting to "Lizardboy" that this would be an easy process (or even a good idea) I was just letting him know how big they (hellbenders) can be.
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1.0.0 Thamnophis proximus
0.1.0 Rana catesbeiana
0.0.3 Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium

I have a friend who goes to this one spot in the NC Mountains were he camps out and manages to see them in various sizes (4-10 inches), but never managed to see any large adults. Since they are protected here in NC and seem to be sensitive to environmental changes, I never thought of keeping them in captivity. I would like to get up there to see them up close and maybe get some pics.
Hey Rick, you seem confident that they are not difficult to keep in captivity. Have you kept them before and how forgiving are they to changes in their environment? Just curious. What about keeping a steady supply of live food sources (crayfish) or is there alternative foods that are commonly given in captivity?

I helped care for two hellbenders in captivity in a museum. They had a huge tank that was chilled, and they had lived there for years. They ate nightcrawlers, and I also saw them go after bits of chopped minnow.