yes, thank you andy. are the larval ones not referred to as mudpuppies or something? is that a hellbender? hes baddass. i've caught larval ones that turned into slamanders or newts that looked much more like mudpuppies than that tiger one, so there could be lots of confusion for someone who doesn't know about these guys when they just go out and catch them. is there any exact way to tell like number of gills or something?
where would you get some of these bad boys
- Thread starter granuccibar
- Start date
It is confusing, because I'm sure someone calls them both mudpuppies. I've also heard the larval tigers called "waterdogs" which I've also heard used for axolotls. That's why I prefer scientific names- they may sometimes be harder to pronounce, but they are much less confusing.MyFishEatYourFish;2850850; said:
Hellbenders are another type of salamander. They do lose their gills, but still spend their lives under water. I'd love to find one in the wild while collecting like this, but I have yet to see a wild one.
yeah, thats where i getting confused. i've always called the whole lot mudpuppies. helbenders are awesome, i've never seen one but think they look bada$$. where do they live throughout the world?
True mudpuppies and waterdogs (genus Necturus) never transform. Even axolotls transform under certain conditions. As far as determining what you have, here are some rough guidelines:
If it has a tall tail fin that extends well forward of the hind limbs and very long gills, it is a pond-type larva. This includes larval and neotenic ambystomatids, such as the tiger posted by Andy and the axolotl. Larval newts and some plethodontids also are pond-type, but they don't get as big as ambystomatids. Sirens are technically pond-type, but it's hard to tell since they lack hind limbs.
If it has a lower tailfin that only extends forward to the hips and relatively short gills, it is a stream-type larva. Mudpuppies and waterdogs are in this group, as are hellbenders and most larval plethodontids. Mudpuppies are the only stream-type larva with only four toes on the hind limb, except for a few very small swamp-dwelling plethodontids (mudpuppies do not occur in swamps).
Mudpuppies live in large streams, rivers, and lakes. The only other salamanders usually found in these areas are hellbenders. They do not occur in ponds, swamps, small streams, or caves, which is where most aquatic salamanders occur.
Unfortunately neotenic tiger salamanders are sometimes sold as 'waterdogs' or 'mudpuppies'. They are not the same thing.
I hope that helped!
If it has a tall tail fin that extends well forward of the hind limbs and very long gills, it is a pond-type larva. This includes larval and neotenic ambystomatids, such as the tiger posted by Andy and the axolotl. Larval newts and some plethodontids also are pond-type, but they don't get as big as ambystomatids. Sirens are technically pond-type, but it's hard to tell since they lack hind limbs.
If it has a lower tailfin that only extends forward to the hips and relatively short gills, it is a stream-type larva. Mudpuppies and waterdogs are in this group, as are hellbenders and most larval plethodontids. Mudpuppies are the only stream-type larva with only four toes on the hind limb, except for a few very small swamp-dwelling plethodontids (mudpuppies do not occur in swamps).
Mudpuppies live in large streams, rivers, and lakes. The only other salamanders usually found in these areas are hellbenders. They do not occur in ponds, swamps, small streams, or caves, which is where most aquatic salamanders occur.
Unfortunately neotenic tiger salamanders are sometimes sold as 'waterdogs' or 'mudpuppies'. They are not the same thing.
I hope that helped!
