Historically, mudpuppies were much more common. Female mudpuppies not only protect their eggs until they hatch but will also guard the nest while the young emerge and disperse. Although slimy, mudpuppies are not poisonous. Anglers should gently remove the hook and return them to the water.
You can also enter data now using the new Herp Atlas smart phone app. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. The misunderstood mudpuppy. FACT Mudpuppies are a type of fish. Mudpuppies that are thrown on the ice by anglers will revive in the spring when the ice melts.
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Mudpuppies mate in the fall but females do not deposit their eggs until the following spring. Females prepare rudimentary nests — usually nothing more than a hollowed-out depression beneath a large, flat rock or log in relatively shallow and quiet water.
Females then turn upside down and deposit their eggs singly along the bottom of the overhanging rock or log. The eggs attach to the rock or log. One female will deposit from 30 to eggs.
Females stay in their nests, guarding their eggs until they hatch, which occurs within 1 to 2 months depending on the temperature of the water. The newborn mudpuppies initially stay near each other and their mothers, but how long this behavior lasts is unknown.
Hatchlings start out just under an inch long, and are dark brown with light yellow stripes along their sides. Predictably, mudpuppies are most likely to be eaten when they are small. Many animals feed on mudpuppy eggs and hatchlings, including insects, fish, other salamanders, other mudpuppies, and leeches. Levell, J. A Field Guide to Reptiles and the Law. Serpent's Tale Books. Monds, S. Petranka, J. Salamanders of the United States and Canada.
Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press. Animal Diversity Web Cybertracker Tools. All rights reserved. Skip directly to main content. Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species. Critter Catalog. Information Pictures Classification. Mudpuppy Necturus maculosus What do they look like? Other Physical Features ectothermic heterothermic bilateral symmetry Sexual Dimorphism sexes alike Range length 20 to 33 cm 7. Conant and Collins, ; Harding, Biogeographic Regions nearctic native What kind of habitat do they need?
These animals are found in the following types of habitat temperate freshwater Aquatic Biomes lakes and ponds rivers and streams Range depth 30 high m Mating System monogamous polygynous Courtship and mating are in the fall, but some southern populations breed in winter. Mudpuppies breed once a year.
Breeding season Courtship and breeding occurs in the fall, or during winter in southern populations. Fertilization and development occur in the spring. Range number of offspring 18 to Range time to hatching 1 to 2 months Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity female 4 to 6 years Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity male 4 to 6 years Female mudpuppies lay their eggs in nest cavities that they dig in sheltered areas beneath rocks and logs.
Mudpuppy or Waterdog, Necturus maculosus", ; Conant and Collins, ; Harding, Key Behaviors natatorial nocturnal motile sedentary solitary How do they communicate with each other? Perception Channels visual tactile vibrations chemical What do they eat? Primary Diet carnivore eats non-insect arthropods Animal Foods amphibians fish eggs carrion insects terrestrial non-insect arthropods mollusks terrestrial worms aquatic crustaceans What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?
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