• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Hellbender” come from and What does Hellbender mean?

Where does the word “Hellbender” come from and What does Hellbender mean?

February 21, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Hellbender, a peculiarly repulsive amphibian looks not unlike an uncouth young crocodile, and we can well imagine that the first white men to run across it in the valley of the Allegheny thought it a salamander direct from hell.

Why the bender part of the name is not certain, but it may be that the man who named it thought it to be “bent for hell,” rather than to have come direct from hell.

Another common name for the hideous, though harmless, creature is mud puppy, for, though it is able to live several hours out of water, its natural habitat is in the muddy bottom of a stream.

Related Facts

  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • Where does Bottled Water come from and Is Bottled Water safe to drink?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • Which Explorers First Explored the Continents of the World?
  • How Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where does the word “Whortleberry” come from and What does Whortleberry mean?
Next Post: Where does the word “Madstone” come from and What does Madstone mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy