Mud Puppy

[Jonny]

Low water level here on Nipissing is giving me a good opportunity to do some shore clean-up. Mostly I'm walking in water no more than 2" deep --- finding lots of dead frogs and crayfish --- the seagulls and the crows are cleaning them up.

 

I came across a little creature that I thought at first was a minnow trapped in shallow water. Looking more closely I thought it was a salamander. Anyway, I picked it up and put it in a container until I was finished my chores. It was then I noticed that the critter had gills.

 

I spent some time looking it up, and turns out it's a 1 year old mud puppy. It's about 8 cm long, 4 legs, external gills and a tail like an eel for swimming.

 

My little grand-daughter loves insects and creatures, so this "baby dragon" is inhabiting a goldfish bowl for a few days until we release him back into the big cruel world to do whatever mud puppies do.

 

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jocko

[timmeh]

That's pretty interesting. I know they're around but I've never seen one myself. I've been told they can get up to 25cm or so, that would be kinda fun to see.

[Sugarpacket]

wow thats a cool pic!! Ive never seen them so small before they still scare me tho

[Dozer]

Friggin' cool!

[tightline]

Here's a pic of one I caught on Nippissing at idle tymes, funny I thought it was common to catch them while ice fishing

[phiphntek]

Here's a pic of one I caught on Nippissing at idle tymes, funny I thought it was common to catch them while ice fishing

 

 

We pulled at least a dozen of them out of Nipissing on a 2 night ice bungalo trip in January.There are plenty of them.Cute for kids, nuisance for fishermen.

[JohnF]

That's pretty interesting. I know they're around but I've never seen one myself. I've been told they can get up to 25cm or so, that would be kinda fun to see.

 

We used to see a few of them that size in Trout Creek back in the 50's.

 

JF

[canadadude]

I beleive they are a protected speceies now, so keeping it in a fish bowl may not be the greatest idea, you should leave these creatures alone if you come across one.

[cram]

I beleive they are a protected speceies now, so keeping it in a fish bowl may not be the greatest idea, you should leave these creatures alone if you come across one.

 

Give me a break. Its a mud puppy. No different from catching a bucket of frogs. Let his kids have some fun and learn something and quit being the hall monitor.

[canadadude]

Give me a break. Its a mud puppy. No different from catching a bucket of frogs. Let his kids have some fun and learn something and quit being the hall monitor.

I'd like to give you a break, but protected species are given that designation for a reason, it's not the same as a bucket of frogs. I'm not trying to be a hall monitor, just trying to educate the public to leave protected species in there habitat. Teach your kids to look but don't touch this ensures the survival of protected animals, sorry but an atitude like yours is very detrimental to the enviroment and to protected species

[frozen-fire]

I'd like to give you a break, but protected species are given that designation for a reason, it's not the same as a bucket of frogs. I'm not trying to be a hall monitor, just trying to educate the public to leave protected species in there habitat. Teach your kids to look but don't touch this ensures the survival of protected animals, sorry but an atitude like yours is very detrimental to the enviroment and to protected species

 

Totally agree.

It was sad reading that post comparing a threatened species to a bucket of frogs.

 

That aside, I couldn't find any information stating the mudpuppy as a species at risk.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/276722.html

 

canadadude, please post some links as I'd like to read more into this.

It's great to know that there are still others out there who care about the environment and wildlife around us.

[frozen-fire]

Sorry for derailing your thread jocko...

I personally think you did a great thing saving that little dragon from a likely death in the shallow water

[archie_james_c]

Give me a break. Its a mud puppy. No different from catching a bucket of frogs. Let his kids have some fun and learn something and quit being the hall monitor.

 

 

Exactly...

 

On another note...yyyyyyyyyyuck *shudders*

[archie_james_c]

Totally agree.

It was sad reading that post comparing a threatened species to a bucket of frogs.

 

That aside, I couldn't find any information stating the mudpuppy as a species at risk.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/276722.html

 

canadadude, please post some links as I'd like to read more into this.

It's great to know that there are still others out there who care about the environment and wildlife around us.

 

oh lordy lordy...save the mud puppies!!

 

Hope the grand kids have fun with the "baby dragon"

[cram]

I'd like to give you a break, but protected species are given that designation for a reason, it's not the same as a bucket of frogs. I'm not trying to be a hall monitor, just trying to educate the public to leave protected species in there habitat. Teach your kids to look but don't touch this ensures the survival of protected animals, sorry but an atitude like yours is very detrimental to the enviroment and to protected species

 

1 - are you sure mudpuppies are protected? Its illegal to use them as bait, but i don't think their status is any different from a garter snake or wood frog. Are you mixing them up with mudpuppy mussels (which are at risk?)

 

2 - a person who keeps in captivity for the purpose of personal education a single game reptile, game

amphibian, …, specially protected reptile, specially protected amphibian … (for details on release see

section 46(4)); (Note: It is illegal to keep more than one individual of any species of game or specially protected reptile or amphibian in captivity. It is also illegal to keep more than one individual under these categories in captivity (i.e. one individual each of several species). This subsection was put in place to recognize that well-meaning individuals, often children for the home or classroom, pick up an animal which they find interesting. Individuals may possess this animal indeterminately. Release is not necessarily encouraged, unless it is immediate and in the location where the animal was captured. All other sections of the Act apply and an animal kept in captivity under section 40(2)( may not be sold, bred, consumed, served or killed."

 

3 - they're very common on nipissing (and the lake i'm on, which is nearby). As in you can catch 10+ of them in a weekend of ice fishing.

Edited March 24, 2010 by cram

[cram]

btw - Jocko....you're probably already doing this but just in case not, the water you keep the mudpuppy in should probably come from the lake. If you're using dechlorinated tap water or well water (like you would for a goldfish) it may not do as well.

[mpt]

Jocko, Whatever you do - do not - put any fish in with the mudpuppy. They will nip the gills down to nothing very quickly.

[strakey]

Low water level here on Nipissing is giving me a good opportunity to do some shore clean-up. Mostly I'm walking in water no more than 2" deep --- finding lots of dead frogs and crayfish --- the seagulls and the crows are cleaning them up.

 

I came across a little creature that I thought at first was a minnow trapped in shallow water. Looking more closely I thought it was a salamander. Anyway, I picked it up and put it in a container until I was finished my chores. It was then I noticed that the critter had gills.

 

I spent some time looking it up, and turns out it's a 1 year old mud puppy. It's about 8 cm long, 4 legs, external gills and a tail like an eel for swimming.

 

My little grand-daughter loves insects and creatures, so this "baby dragon" is inhabiting a goldfish bowl for a few days until we release him back into the big cruel world to do whatever mud puppies do.

 

 

 

Hey jocko this is an aquatic salamander that never matures into the land form or newt. Not that common around northern ontario but seemingly nippising has a decent population, just like the odd chinook that comes out of there.

 

happy froggin

[kickingfrog]

BTW a bucket of frogs will now get you in trouble with the MNR, if there are more than 12 of them, or they are anything but northern leopard frogs.

[Jonny]

I was hoping the topic would be of interest, and you gentlemen (and Lady) did not disappoint!

 

The posts about endangered species and regulations for keeping species for study were constructive and informative; thanks for that too.

 

The mud puppy is in the goldfish bowl all by itself - no plans to add anything else, nor to keep it for very long for that matter.

 

A few good pictures of it are enough of a keepsake.

 

Catch and (delayed) release. If I let him go right now, he'll never make it to deep water. The crows and gulls are patrolling the low-water sand flats out in front of my place continuously and the water is only a couple of inches deep.

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jocko

[OhioFisherman]

I have no idea how your laws cover things up there, a friend, now deceased hit a protected hawk here in Ohio with his truck. It was dead but not torn up, and a cool looking bird, he took it to get it mounted. The shop here would not do it, and told him it was illegal to have it in his possession for any reason. They would not even dispose of it for him. Not sure? let it go

[pike slayer]

everyone take it easy, its a mud puppy not a unicorn. hes trying to save this "protected species" and teaching his kids to not kill things and help and release them back in the wild. if he left it out it would have been eaten by now.

[cram]

I have no idea how your laws cover things up there, a friend, now deceased hit a protected hawk here in Ohio with his truck. It was dead but not torn up, and a cool looking bird, he took it to get it mounted. The shop here would not do it, and told him it was illegal to have it in his possession for any reason. They would not even dispose of it for him. Not sure? let it go

 

Its a mudpuppy, not a peregrine falcon or a whooping crane. Give the guy a break.

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Cool...that was on my list as a kid but never caught one

[Jonny]

I have no idea how your laws cover things up there, a friend, now deceased hit a protected hawk here in Ohio with his truck. It was dead but not torn up, and a cool looking bird, he took it to get it mounted. The shop here would not do it, and told him it was illegal to have it in his possession for any reason.

 

I'm pretty sure that if that happens in Ontario (maybe all of Canada) you can get a permit from the MNR and have the bird or animal mounted.

 

The mud puppy is doing well --- excavated himself a hidey-hole in that coarse gravel you can see in the picture! Either a strong or determined critter, or both!

 

He'll be back in the lake in a few days.