A recent catch and release in the Muskingum River, Ohio, has sparked excitement among wildlife enthusiasts, with many speculating it could be a state record mudpuppy – and potentially over 100 years old!
While Fall marks the Mudpuppy breeding season, these intriguing aquatic salamanders don’t actually lay eggs until Spring, a fascinating aspect of their reproductive cycle.
Mudpuppies, or Necturus maculosus, typically measure between 20 and 33 cm in length. They are entirely aquatic, characterized by large, maroon-colored gills that persist throughout their lives. Preferring deep, muddy water in large rivers, streams, and ponds, these nocturnal creatures are rarely seen. If one were to encounter a mudpuppy, its appearance would certainly make an impression: a broad, flat head, a square nose, and very small eyes. However, the most noticeable features are the distinctive red, bushy gills on both sides of its neck. Unlike most amphibians whose gills are lost after the larval stage, adult mudpuppies retain these prominent structures.
Much like the hellbender, the mudpuppy’s intimidating appearance is deceiving; they are entirely harmless.
The breeding cycle of the mudpuppy is quite unique. During courtship, typically in the fall, males deposit a small plug of sperm on the substrate. The female then picks this up with a specialized storage organ and stores it internally. She will hold the sperm until the spring, when she fertilizes her eggs. Once fertilized, she will “kick out” the male from the nest and meticulously hang the eggs from the nest ceiling. A clutch can range from 20 to 200 eggs. The dedicated female will then guard the eggs until they hatch.
When the next life cycle begins, newly hatched mudpuppies are small, less than an inch in length. It takes them up to six years to reach sexual maturity. On average, mudpuppies live around twenty years of age, though the Muskingum River specimen suggests some individuals can live considerably longer.
Despite their resilience, mudpuppies face several threats, including loss and alteration of habitat, degradation of water quality, pollution, siltation, and the use of lampricides. While mudpuppies are apparently tolerant of some siltation, habitat modification activities such as river channelization, dams, shoreline development, and dredging can bury critical rocks, logs, or other types of cover necessary for refuge and nesting. Fortunately, mudpuppies are not currently considered endangered in Ohio.
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