Asheville Tourists to take the field as Asheville Snot Otters for one-day rebrand, fundraiser

Yahoo

29-04-2025

The Asheville Tourists will have a new, snotty identity for one day only.
On June 6, the Tourists will undergo a name change to play as the Asheville Snot Otters, a nod to the rare eastern hellbender salamander. The Tourists will don custom jerseys and caps with a unique logo featuring a snot-covered salamander.
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The game-worn Snot Otters jerseys will be auctioned off prior to the game with proceeds going toward the Western North Carolina Nature Center.
The Asheville Tourists will take the field as the Asheville Snot Otters on June 6 for one game only with custom jerseys, which will be auctioned off to benefit the Western North Carolina nature center.
Alternate identities are common in Minor League Baseball, and the Tourists, the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, are no stranger to donning a different uniform. Every season, the Tourists undergo name changes to play a game as the Beer City Tourists and a game as the Asheville Hippies, both inspired by Asheville's local culture.
The WNC Nature Center reopened in March after being closed for nearly six months because of damage from Tropical Storm Helene. Flooding from the storm damaged roads and destroyed the main bridge to the Nature Center, leaving it inaccessible for months.
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Despite 40 downed and leaning trees, as well as damage to fencing or boardwalks, all of the animals survived the storm and no enclosures were destroyed.
What is a Snot Otter?
The Tourists' new alternate identity gets its name from the rare eastern hellbender, a type of aquatic giant salamander native to Western North Carolina. Hellbenders have several nicknames, including snot otters, mud puppies and devil dogs.
The hellbender is just one of three giant salamander species in the world. The salamander is known for living among the large, flat river rocks of Western North Carolina — and the broader southern Appalachian region — and can grow up to two feet, making it the largest North American amphibian.
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Hellbender populations were devastated by Tropical Storm Helene, washing away habitats and worsening the species' condition, Lori Williams, a biologist and hellbender expert with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, previously told the Citizen Times.
As a result of Helene, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed the Hellbender, already at risk with low populations, to be placed on the list of endangered species.
Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at [e-mail] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Tourists to play as Snot Otters, auction off jerseys