Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Common Mudpuppy
(Necturus maculosus)
The Mudpuppy is a large aquatic salamander measuring 8 - 17 inches. They are usually gray to brown with dark blue spots on their back with a gray belly with dark spots. They have feather-like maroon gills and a flattened tail. Mudpuppies found in deeper colder water tend to have smaller gills then those specimens found in shallower and warmer water.
Eggs are generally laid anytime between April and June. The 30 - 200 eggs is usually attached to the bottom of a stone or log. and hatch in 5 - 9 weeks
The Mudpuppy can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats from shallow, muddy pools to streams, rivers, ponds to deep lakes. Mudpuppies have been found as deep as 90 feet in Lake Michigan.
Mudpuppies are primarily nocturnal and feed on small fish, insects, worms and crayfish.
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Help further herpetology research and education by donating to the Marvin R. Aures Herpetological Grant