Where did they come from?
The New England populations are releases or escapes from college biology programs. They are located in Great Pond and Belgrade, Kennebec County.
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. Among the largest of the salamanders, mudpuppies can exceed 16 inches (41 centimeters) in length, although the average is more like 11 inches (28 centimeters). Their range runs from southern central Canada, through the midwestern United States, east to North Carolina and south to Georgia and Mississippi.
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. Among the largest of the salamanders, mudpuppies can exceed 16 inches (41 centimeters) in length, although the average is more like 11 inches (28 centimeters). Their range runs from southern central Canada, through the midwestern United States, east to North Carolina and south to Georgia and Mississippi.Mudpuppies live on the bottoms of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, and never leave the water. They hide themselves in vegetation and under rocks and logs, emerging at night to feed on whatever prey they can catch, including crayfish, worms, and snails.Mudpuppies are easily distinguishable by their bushy, red external gills, which they grow as larva and never lose. They have flat heads, wide tails, stubby legs, and feet with four distinct toes. Their bodies are gray or brownish-gray with blue-black spots. Females lay large clutches of eggs and guard them until they hatch, a unique trait among salamanders. Mudpuppies are common throughout their range and have no special conservation status. However, habitat loss and pollution is putting pressure on some local populations. Mudpuppies eat all kinds of small animals that live in the water. They will eat small fish, crayfish, insects and snails. Large fish, like northern pike and small mouthed bass will eat mudpuppies. So will wading birds like the great blue heron or diving ducks like common mergansers. Snapping turtles will eat them, too.
