The mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus, is an aquatic salamander that lives in the eastern part of North America in lakes, rivers, and ponds. As skin and lung respiration is not sufficient for gas exchange, mudpuppies rely on external gills as their primary means of gas exchange. They are nocturnal animals, and only emerge during the day if the water in which they inhabit is murky. Their diet is diverse, as they consume insects, mollusks, earthworms, and other annelids. Physically they are a rusty brown color with black, gray, and black-blue spots.
The Common Mudpuppy has an overall length between 7.87”-13” (20-33 cm), body width of .98”-1.57” (2.5-4 cm), body height of .79”-1.25” (2-3.2 cm), and weight between 4-5.5 lb (1.8-2.5 kg). The typical lifespan of the Common Mudpuppy is between 10-30 years.
The mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus, is an aquatic salamander that lives in the eastern part of North America in lakes, rivers, and ponds. As skin and lung respiration is not sufficient for gas exchange, mudpuppies rely on external gills as their primary means of gas exchange. They are nocturnal animals, and only emerge during the day if the water in which they inhabit is murky. Their diet is diverse, as they consume insects, mollusks, earthworms, and other annelids. Physically they are a rusty brown color with black, gray, and black-blue spots.
The Common Mudpuppy has an overall length between 7.87”-13” (20-33 cm), body width of .98”-1.57” (2.5-4 cm), body height of .79”-1.25” (2-3.2 cm), and weight between 4-5.5 lb (1.8-2.5 kg). The typical lifespan of the Common Mudpuppy is between 10-30 years.
