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MUD PUPPY, common name for an aquatic salamander, named for its muddy habitat and the unproven belief that it barks like a dog. The amphibian lives in rivers and lakes of the eastern U.S. It has three pairs of bushy external gills, by which it breathes underwater, and a complete set of lungs that it does not use. It grows to about 43 cm (about 17 in). It has a flattened, rectangular head, a dark brown spotted body, and a tail that is flattened on the sides. The sluggish mud puppy spends most of the day in the mud, crawling about on its four weak legs. It feeds on aquatic worms, insect larvae, fish eggs, and thin-shelled shellfish. The female lays 60 to 70 eggs singly in shallow water in late spring. The newly hatched young, which closely resemble the parents, are about 18 mm (about 3/4 in) long. |
| COMMON NAME | FAMILY | GENUS AND SPECIES |
| Mud Puppy | Proteidae | Necturus maculosus |