Iowa Amphibians

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about two months. The female remains with the eggs until they hatch. Occasionally, mudpuppies are caught by people fishing and recently a mudpuppy caught with minnow bait in the Shellrock River, Floyd County was recorded. The mudpuppy is found in most large rivers in eastern Iowa, however records for this species are scarce. Populations may be declining as a result of habitat degradation. Habitats Mississippi River; interior rivers and streams Iowa Status endangered; native Channelization and the increase in pollutants in lower reaches of larger rivers likely affects the abundance of mudpuppies. Iowa Range eastern one-third of Iowa mudpuppy Necturus maculosus Bibliography Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 2001. Biodiversity of Iowa: Aquatic Habitats CD-ROM. Kingdom: Animalia Division/Phylum: Chordata - vertebrates Class: Amphibia Order: Caudata Family: Proteidae Features Iowa’s only fully aquatic salamander, the mudpuppy, ranges from eight to seventeen inches long. Its bushy, deep-red, external gills are retained throughout life. The body is gray or rust-brown. The back usually has scattered blue-black spots. The belly is gray, sometimes with dark spots. It has four toes on each of its feet (most salamanders have five toes on each hind foot). A dark stripe is present through the eye. The name “mudpuppy” comes from the mistaken belief that the animal “barks.” Natural History The mudpuppy lives in lakes, rivers, and large creeks. It is a very slimy animal. It eats crayfish, fishes, arthropods (spiders, insects, mites, etc.), annelids (segmented worms), and mollusks (snails, mussels). It is active at night throughout the year. Breeding occurs in the fall, but the eggs are not deposited until spring. About 100 eggs are laid, usually on the underside of a submerged rock or log. Eggs hatch in Iowa Department of Natural Resources www.iowadnr.gov.

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Comparative Osteology and Evolution of the Lungless Salamanders, Family Plethodontidae David B
COMPARATIVE OSTEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF THE LUNGLESS SALAMANDERS, FAMILY PLETHODONTIDAE DAVID B. WAKE1 ABSTRACT: Lungless salamanders of the family Plethodontidae comprise the largest and most diverse group of tailed amphibians. An evolutionary morphological approach has been employed to elucidate evolutionary rela tionships, patterns and trends within the family. Comparative osteology has been emphasized and skeletons of all twenty-three genera and three-fourths of the one hundred eighty-three species have been studied. A detailed osteological analysis includes consideration of the evolution of each element as well as the functional unit of which it is a part. Functional and developmental aspects are stressed. A new classification is suggested, based on osteological and other char acters. The subfamily Desmognathinae includes the genera Desmognathus, Leurognathus, and Phaeognathus. Members of the subfamily Plethodontinae are placed in three tribes. The tribe Hemidactyliini includes the genera Gyri nophilus, Pseudotriton, Stereochilus, Eurycea, Typhlomolge, and Hemidac tylium. The genera Plethodon, Aneides, and Ensatina comprise the tribe Pleth odontini. The highly diversified tribe Bolitoglossini includes three super genera. The supergenera Hydromantes and Batrachoseps include the nominal genera only. The supergenus Bolitoglossa includes Bolitoglossa, Oedipina, Pseudoeurycea, Chiropterotriton, Parvimolge, Lineatriton, and Thorius. Manculus is considered to be congeneric with Eurycea, and Magnadig ita is congeneric with Bolitoglossa. Two species are assigned to Typhlomolge, which is recognized as a genus distinct from Eurycea. No. new information is available concerning Haptoglossa. Recognition of a family Desmognathidae is rejected. All genera are defined and suprageneric groupings are defined and char acterized. Range maps are presented for all genera. Relationships of all genera are discussed.
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Necturus Maculosus)
MINNESOTA PROFILE Mlldplippy (Necturus maculosus) Appearance The mudpuppy is Minnesota's largest salamander species, with adults reaching lengths of 13 inches or more. Brown or grayish in color, the mudpuppy has spots peppered across its back and sides, and its underside is light gray or buff. Hatchlings and juveniles have a yellow stripe along each side. The mud- puppy has small eyes and a paddlelike tail, which it uses to propel itself during rapid swimming. The sides of the head are adorned with bushy, red gills, that are bright red and conspicuous when in heavily oxygenated water, but are smaller, more compressed, and darker colored when in low-oxygenated water. Tiger salamander larvae are often mistaken for mudpuppies because they have a similar body structure and external gills.The best distinguishing trait: Mudpuppies have four toes on each hind foot, and larval tiger salamanders have five. People often refer to mudpuppies as waterdogs or axolotls, but true waterdogs and axolotls are not found in Minnesota. Range Mudpuppies are found primarily in the eastern United States.Their range extends from southeastern Manitoba and southern Quebec, to eastern Kansas, and to northern Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. In Minnesota, mudpuppies inhabit the Mississippi, St. Croix, Minnesota, and Red river drainages. Most recorded sightings have been on the state's eastern and western edges, except for a few records along the Minnesota River. Habitat Minnesota's only fully aquatic salamander species, the mudpuppy lives in water during every stage of its life cycle. In eastern Minnesota they appear to prefer rivers with rocky or gravelly substrates.
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The Salamanders of Tennessee
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AMPHIBIA: CAUDATA: PROTEIDAE Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles
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Key to the Identification of Streamside Salamanders
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Mud Puppy (Necturus) Species: maculosus Genus: Necturus Family: Proteidae Order: Caudata Class: Amphibia Subphylum: Vertebrata Phylum: Chordata Kingdom: Animalia Conditions for Customer Ownership We hold permits allowing us to transport these organisms. To access permit conditions, click here. Never purchase living specimens without having a disposition strategy in place. An end-user permit is required in order to receive Necturus maculosus into Oregon. Shipments of Necturus maculosus are restricted in Ohio. In order to protect our environment, never release a live laboratory organism into the wild. Primary Hazard Considerations • Always wash your hands thoroughly after you handle your organism. • Handle your mud puppy with care—they don’t bark (as once believed) but they can bite! If the skin is broken from a mud puppy bite, disinfect the wound, using soap and warm water. Availability • Mud puppies are wild collected from Lake Erie and are generally available late December through April. Larger than most salamanders, mud puppies can reach a length of 30 centimeters, have external gills, and are dark colored. • Mud puppies will arrive in a sealed plastic bag (double-bagged) filled with water and oxygen. Since oxygen will be continuously depleted, your mud puppy’s good health will be best preserved by moving it into its new home as soon as you receive it. • Open the shipping bag and float it in the aquarium the mud puppy will inhabit. When the water inside the bag is the same temperature as the water in the aquarium (after about 15-30 minutes), transfer the mud puppy from the bag to the tank.
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Forestry Information Summary on Federal T&E Species
Forestry Information Summary on Federal T&E Species Species: Carolina Madtom (a small catfish), Noturus furiosus. Neuse River Waterdog (a large salamander), Necturus lewisi. Federal Listing Status: Carolina Madtom = Endangered. Neuse River Waterdog = Threatened. Effective Date: July 9, 2021. Federal Register Notice: Vol.86, No.109, pg.30688-30751. Published Wednesday / June 9, 2021. Affected River Basins: Large areas of Neuse River basin and Tar-Pamlico River basin. (See snapshot index maps on page 3, and more maps in the Federal Register or online map viewer.) Habitat Type: In-stream, aquatic habitat. Stressors: Sedimentation; Flow obstruction; Disconnection of stream channel; High temperatures. Affected NCFS Districts: D4, D5, D6, D11. USF&WS Raleigh Field Office Phone Number: 919-856-4520. Regulatory Requirements • Both species are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). • There is a “4(d)-Rule” for the Neuse River Waterdog. That rule includes requirements for forestry operations to remain exempt from permitting in the event of an “incidental take”. • The forestry requirements of the 4(d)-Rule are outlined on the next page. These requirements are similar to what is already required by the North Carolina FPGs and the Neuse/Tar-Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rules, but there are some minor differences. • Implementing appropriate BMPs will also help to protect both of these species, and their habitat, and support compliance with the ESA. • The Carolina Madtom does not have any allowances for a non-permitted incidental take, therefore any non-permitted ‘take’ of the animal or its habitat would violate the ESA. Critical Habitat Designation • Both species have Critical Habitat designated.
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Necturus Maculosus) in Southeast Ohio Using Environmental DNA
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