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Garold W. Sneegas

Necturus maculosus   (Rafinesque, 1818)

Common Name: Mudpuppy

Taxonomy: available through

Size: generally 20 - 33 cm

Native Range:

Sporadically distributed from the southeastern U.S. north to New York, Vermont and Quebec and west to North Dakota and Manitoba.

Interactive maps: Continental US, Hawaii, Puerto Rico

Nonindigenous Occurrences:

Massachusetts: Mid-Atlantic Region: Established in Hampshire County near Amherst College.
Established in Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Franklin county (USFWS, 2005).
Maine:  Great Pond and Belgrade, Kennebec County .

Means of Introduction: The New England populations are releases or escapes from college biology programs.

Status:

Impact of Introduction: Unknown.

Remarks: Found in clear lakes, rivers and streams, and some weedy, turbid and mud-banked streams.  It lingers in shallow aquatic habitats under rocks and logs and swims deep in lakes on occasion.  Primarily nocturnal, but is known to venture out during daytime in cloudy or sheltered water.  Females construct underwater nests and lay up to 100 eggs (average 48-60) during May and June.

References

Reigle, N. J., Jr. 1967.  The occurrence of Necturus in deeper waters of Green Bay.  Herpetologica 23:232-233.

Author: Liz McKercher

Revision Date: 5/3/2004

Citation for this information:
Liz McKercher. 2008. Necturus maculosus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=156> Revision Date: 5/3/2004

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey Page Contact Information: Pam Fuller - NAS Program URL: <http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=156> This File (/queries/FactSheet.asp) Last Modified On: 8/11/2008 1:36:47 PM