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Anton Sorokin
@antonsrkn

23,631 followers

Getting into some hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) behavior now. Photographing them in breeding season means these lasagna lizards (it's a colloquial name, don't be confused - they're salamanders) are on the move feeding, fighting, and fornicating. You'll see big males sticking out from holes under large rocks - these are their dens and the denmasters will protect them from any wandering males. These wandering males on the other hand often seem intent on challenging the denmasters, whether to gain control of the den, gain access and eat eggs within, or just to show dominance - I'm not sure. Then throw some females into the mix, the females will visit the denmasters and gain entry under the rock, they'll lay their eggs and get going soon after - leaving the male denmasters to guard and aerate the clutch until it hatches. In this image you see a male hellbender approaching the den of a much larger male. He's got the denmaster's attention - you can see the head poking out from under the rock looking at the approaching bender. Right after this, the denmaster emerged and the smaller salamander made a quick escape, the denmaster did a circuit of the immediate area to check for interlopers before returning to the den. . . . #freshwatersnorkeling #freshwaterlife #underwaterworld #animalsdoingthings #animalbehavior #underwaterphotographer #underwaterlife #aquaticlife #uwphotography #uwpics #amphibiansofinstagram #hellbender #cryptobranchus #amphibianconservation #amphibian #salamandersofinstagram #salamander #caudata #nikonnature #nikonwildlife #nikonnofilter #nikonunderwater #herpetologia #herping #herpsofig @nauticamhousings