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Care Sheet: Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Common Name: Mudpuppy, Waterdog.

Scientific Name: Necturus maculosus.

Distribution: Lakes, ponds, slow running rivers and streams of Northern, Eastern, & Central America and Canada.

Size: 20-49cm.

Life Expectancy: 10-12 years, sexual maturity is reached at 4 years.

Sexing: Males have more swollen cloaca.

Varieties: Dorsum is brown – grey with dark blue-black spots and lines. Ventral surface is white with or without brown spots.

Requirements: These aquatic Salamanders are rather large and require a large aquarium. A 22-gallon tank would be the minimum for 2 adults. They require a totally aquatic set-up with a substrate of gravel or sand. Furnishings such as large pebbles, rocks, driftwood and aquatic plants can be arranged to provide a number of hiding places. The water should be clean de-chlorinated or spring water at a depth of 15-20cm (6-8"). The water will need to be filtered using an external power filter to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water, and partial water changes should be carried out at regular intervals. Mudpuppies require a water temperature of 10-20°C, and bright lighting should be avoided.

Feeding: Juveniles should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized aquatic insects including mosquito larvae, tubifex, earthworm and whiteworm. Adults should be fed every other day with a mixture of earthworms, maggots, small fish, fish eggs, crustaceans, & aquatic snails.