12-Month Petition Finding and Endangered Species Status for the Missouri Distinct Population Segment of Eastern Hellbender

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), a salamander species, as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. Because the Service published a final rule to list the Ozark hellbender subspecies (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) as endangered on October 6, 2011, this 12-month petition finding addresses the eastern hellbender subspecies (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis). After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing of the eastern hellbender is not warranted. However, we determined that listing is warranted for a distinct population segment (DPS) of the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) in Missouri. Accordingly, we propose to list the Missouri DPS of the eastern hellbender (C. a. alleganiensis) as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this DPS.