Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)


Group	Salamanders
Code	AAAAE01040
Order	Caudata
Family	Proteidae
Author	(Rafinesque, 1818)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	P (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Forested or Nonforested Landscapes

      Lake 
      or River

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Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	no	no	no	no
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Lake, River
Special Features	none

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Literature:

Harding, J. H. and J. A. Holman. 1992. Michigan frogs, toads, and salamanders a field guide and pocket reference. Co-operative Extension Service, Michigan State University. 144 pp.

A mudpuppy is a large, permanently aquatic salamander with bushy, reddish gills visible behind the head. These salamanders inhabit rivers and lakes, including bays and shallows of the Great Lakes. Mudpuppies are sensitive to chemicals used in fish management and are undoubtedly affected by many water pollutants. They spend most of their time crawling on the bottom or hiding under objects in shallow water, but they have been reported to depths of 100 feet (30 m). Mudpuppies feed on a variety of small aquatic animals, including crayfish, snails, insect larvae, worms, and fish.

Male and female mudpuppies congregate in shallow water in October and November for mating, but egg laying does not occur until the following spring. Females excavate a nest cavity under a submerged rock or other flat object. From 50 to 100 or more pea-sized eggs are suspended from the upper surface of the cavity, each hanging from a thin gelatinous stalk. The female stays with the eggs until the larvae hatch. The larvae measure from .75 to 1.4 inches (2 to 3.5 cm) long at hatching and reach maturity in four to six years. Mudpuppies may live for more than 20 years.

Frequently caught by ice fisherman.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Habitat is entirely aquatic. Clear or muddy waters of lakes, rivers, ditches, and large streams. Often found in submerged log piles around the bases of bridge pilings in larger rivers and around obstructions in streams.

Special Habitat Requirements: Moving water.