mudpuppy

LC - Least Concern

N5 - Secure

S3 - Vulnerable

Special Concern

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

Mudpuppy, also called common mudpuppy, is a common, large salamander. It is the largest and the only completely aquatic salamander in Minnesota. It occurs in the United States from Maine to North Carolina, west to Minnesota and eastern Oklahoma, and in southern Canada from Quebec to Manitoba. It is found in large lakes, reservoirs, large and medium-sized rivers, and sluggish streams.

Adults can be 8″ to 19″ (20 to 49 cm) in length but they average 13″ (33 cm) in length.

The head is squarish and flattened. The eyes are tiny. At the base of the head there are bushy, deep red, external gills. Adults in silty waters have larger gills, those in well-oxygenated waters have shorter gills. The tail is short and flattened vertically, fin-like. The legs are short and flattened. All of the feet have four toes. The upper side is rusty-brown to gray or nearly black with few to many black or blackish-blue spots. The belly is gray and sometimes has a few spots.

Juveniles are black with two yellow stripes on the back.

8″ to 19″ (20 to 49 cm)

Large lakes, reservoirs, large and medium-sized rivers, and sluggish streams

Mudpuppies are solitary. They spend the day concealed under rocks, logs, or weeds, and come out at night to feed. In muddy or heavily vegetated waters they may also be active during the day. They usually walk on the bottom, but they can also swim like fish.

15 to 25 years or sometimes longer in captivity

Mudpuppies are active year-round, they do not hibernate.

Mudpuppies are opportunistic feeders. They eat anything that they can catch, especially crayfish, but also amphibians, fish, aquatic insects, eggs, worms, mollusks, and carrion.

Sources

4, 6, 14, 24, 29, 30, 60, 73, 76, 78.

Widespread, common, and locally abundant in Minnesota.

Two subspecies are currently recognized. A third subspecies, Lake Winnebago mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus stictus) has been described as having many small spots on the back and a weak dark eyeline, but it is not widely accepted.

In 1991, an author (Collins) proposed raising the subspecies Red River mudpuppy (N. m. louisianensis) to species level. Most sources, including GBIF and Amphibian Species of the World Online, accept the move and recognize no subspecies of N. maculosus. A few sources, including AmphibiaWeb, reject the move, citing the lack of supporting data.

Location: Kanabec County