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“A Mud-WHAT?!”…This slightly confused inquiry is one that I often get when I talk about Ontario’s largest salamander, the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus).
Mudpuppies, sometimes called waterdogs, can reach 20-48 cm in length and spend their entire life in the water, as is evident by their permanent, red, feathery gills.
Mudpuppies are unique in the salamander world for their fully aquatic lifestyle. They are also secretive and nocturnal which makes spotting them a real challenge, even for the most enthusiastic naturalists.
Mudpuppies © Nick Cairns
As a keen naturalist and coordinator of the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, I was eager to see this little-known species in its natural environment. With high hopes, I planned a visit to Kemptville Creek, below the Oxford Mills dam. This site is well known in Ontario as a place to easily view mudpuppies during winter.
After a thwarted first attempt to visit the site in December due to high water levels, I began to appreciate the challenges associated with catching a glimpse of these animals. When another opportunity came up to visit Ottawa in late February, I immediately started to plan my trip around a Friday night visit to Oxford Mills. I was determined to see some ‘puppies.
Mudpuppy © Scott Gillingwater
But I received an email on Thursday evening from Fred Schueler, herpetologist and coordinator of the Oxford Mills event that said, “Well, things aren’t [looking] good for seeing wild mudpuppies. Tonight there was grey-murky water bank-to-bank…no bottom visible from the bridge and about 40 cm [of water] rushing over the Vantage Point ledge, which should be 15 cm above water level on an ideal night.”
Foiled again!
I was going to give up until I read a little further through the email—“We’ve got some captive mudpuppies…”
The next morning, driving through hail and torrential rain, I arrived in Oxford Mills and saw the mudpuppies before they were released back into the wild.
Driving through the storm in Oxford Mills; Credit: Emma Horrigan
Seeing these unique animals up-close was worth the wait.
Mudpuppies — Finally! Credit: Emma Horrigan
Have you been lucky enough to see a mudpuppy in Ontario? Sightings of this species are rare because of their shy, nocturnal nature. In fact, most mudpuppy records in the atlas database come from ice anglers. If you are one of the fortunate few, consider sharing your sighting with us.
Love reptiles and amphibians as much as I do? Join the Ontario Nature Atlas e-news community! You’ll learn about the issues reptiles and amphibians face in Ontario and the many ways you can get involved to help us protect them.
Emma Horrigan was Ontario Nature’s Conservation Projects and Education Manager. Besides her passion for ecology, Emma enjoys cross-country skiing, birding and hiking.
It’s June 10, 2023 at 5:20 p.m. and I just lifted a rock near the shore of the Ottawa River near Westboro Beach and, to my surprise, caught a brief glimpse of one.
Hello , I have been fortunate enough to catch two mudpuppies in few hours apart yesterday on Lake Nipissing, while ice fishing. It was my first time knowing about them , very interesting creatures.
My husband and son caught a mud puppy in the Detroit river I have video of it. When my Son caught it it was just floating along the in the river and he didn’t know what it was floating by until my Husband told him to grab his net and that it was a mud puppy. They are so weird looking we have it on video. They checked it out for a minute and then put it back in the water. That was the first one I’ve ever seen in my life
My name is Mary Cantin and we live in Windsor Ont
One made its way into our laundry room this weekend (unsure how!). It was unfortunately too late when we found it (it was about 8 inches long). We live in Woodlawn (Ottawa) on the Ottawa River.
I pulled a mudpuppy from the swimming pool and released it back into Pigeon lake
The first mudpuppy I ever saw was along the shore of Hart Lake, just off the Rideau waterway. It was an 8-in individual that was being constricted and swallowed by a 4-foot long Grey Ratsnake! Disappointingly, my camera was out of battery — but the memory persists.
Last week, I spotted a Mudpuppy clutched by the tail in the mouth of a Northern Water Snake. Located on the shores of the Trent River outside Campbellford. I watched and photographed the end of life struggle. The Mudpuppy was a good challenge for the snake. At points grasping the underside of a rock to keep it’s head submerged to breath. Then grasping the snake’s side in it’s jaws. The struggle was an hour long in total.
I caught a mud puppy on a night line in Bear Creek near South River, Ont., a very long time ago. I looked it up in McClane’s Standard Fishing Encyclopedia and found it under ‘waterdog’.
My husband caught and released one off our dock in Mooretown, Ontario in the St. Clair river in April.
I saw one in Lake Simcoe at the Barrie waterfront 2days ago
Just saw one by shore in the Rideau River in merrickville
I think I just found a mudpuppy in North Central Ontario, do they range north of hiway 17?
Hi Denis,
I’m not certain which Highway 17 was meant here, but mudpuppies have been found near and north of North Bay as well as near and north of Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay along Lake Superior: https://ontarionature.org/programs/citizen-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/mudpuppy/
Noah
my wife came across two today while walking the Lake Huron shoreline near Grand Bend water supply plant
I caught a mud puppy this evening while ice fishing in Sarnia Bay. It was about 12 inches long
I caught one on a worm on a really cold day fishing Niagara River whirlpool in Jan-2003. Was around 12” long with a brown mottled appearance. Freaked me out until I realized what it was.
I caught a mud puppy on January 27 2021 out of Mitchell’s Bay Ontario through the ice I didn’t get a pic because I forgot my phone at home but I caught it on a tip up rod with minnows
I found two mud puppies 8 inches long in the mud on the shore of Trout Lake in North Bay.
We caught one today in walkerton Ontario saugeen River
Caught a mudpuppy last week in the Rideau river on a minnow
I’ve found many in the ottawa river simply by going to the beach at any time of day, one was almost 14 inches long. and I’ve observed them from ice out all through the summer.
Id love to share a video of my 2 Auxolot/ Mud puppies
Proud owner of 2
I just caught one of these in the ohio river, I had no idea what it was until I did a little research. Very cool little creature!
I was cleaning cinder blocks out of the middle Thames river when I spotted one slowly moving away from me. May 20 2018
I caught it in a fishing net to show my kid and take a picture of it.
Hi Gerry,
That is wonderful!
When you have a moment, we hope you’ll please report it to the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas! ontarionature.org/atlas
ON Noah
If you want to see mud puppies , go ice fishing in shallow water in Long Point Bay.
Glad that you were finally able to see some mudpuppies after all of your struggles!