Iowa Reptiles and Amphibians

There are a wide variety and number of amphibians and reptiles that make Iowa their home. People are often surprised to learn of the variety of amphibians and reptiles we have in Iowa. Many of these animals are secretive and come out only at night and may not be easily observable. “Herps” is the names given to the large group of amphibians and reptiles and the study of them is called herpetology.

Herps are cold-blooded, which does not mean that their blood is actually cold. Cold-blooded animals are animals that do not generate their own body heat but rather rely on the ambient temperature surrounding them (air, water, soil, etc) to regulate their body temperature. This is why you see snakes and turtles basking in the sun or hiding in the shade – they are regulating their temperature.

Creature Feature – Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Mudpuppies are listed as THREATENED in Iowa. It is illegal to kill or collect them. Any sightings in Iowa should be reported to the Iowa HerpNet at REPTILIA74@aol.com.

Mudpuppies are Iowa’s largest and only fully aquatic salamander. They range in size from 8-17 inches long. Adult mudpuppies are brown, reddish-brown, or gray above with varying numbers and sizes of dark spots. Their bellies are gray with dark spots. They have dark stripes though each eye. Contrary to common belief mudpuppies are NOT poisonous. However, they may bite if handled roughly.

The most distinctive feature of mudpuppies is the deep-red, bushy external gills on the sides of their head. Their gills are retained throughout their life (unlike most salamander species which only have gills in their aquatic, immature larval stage). Another distinctive feature of mudpuppies is the number of toes on their hind feet. While most salamander species have 5 toes on each hind foot, mudpuppies have only 4 toes on each hind foot.

Mudpuppy’s heads are large and flattened. They have small, lidless eyes. Their tails are paddle-like with fins above and below. Mudpuppies are extremely slimy and are very hard to hold on to.

Mudpuppies are live in lakes, rivers, and large creeks. In clear, fast moving water mudpuppies have small, compressed gills. In water that is warm and slow moving they have big bushy gills. Mudpuppies like to hide under sunken objects such as rocks, logs, and other debris.

Mudpuppies are active throughout the year. They are most active at night. They eat crayfish, fish, spiders, insects, worms, snails, or anything they can catch. They do not have keen eyesight and rely upon their sense of smell to find prey.

Breeding occurs in fall and early winter. The female will lay up to 100 eggs in late spring or early summer. She will dig a cavity under a rock or a log and attaches her eggs to the “roof” of the “nest”. Female mudpuppies guard their eggs and will stay with the young for some time after they hatch. They hatch after about 60 days. The young are very small and have a yellow strip down each side. Their coloring will slowly change until they reach maturity and adult coloration at 5 years of age.

Iowa HerpNet: Mudpuppy

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=26

For factsheets, activity sheets and MORE visit:

IDNR: Education – Classroom Resources (go to the Document Library at the bottom of the page for fact sheets and activity sheets!)

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/ForTeachers/ClassroomResources.aspx