Common Mudpuppy

How to identify

• Large, 8–17 inches
• Bushy, dark red external gills — present throughout life
• Dark brown or gray with darker spots
• Stout, flattened body with four short legs
• Fully aquatic — never leaves the water

About this species

A large, permanently aquatic salamander found in Virginia's rivers and larger streams, the mudpuppy is neotenic — it retains its larval features, including bushy red external gills, throughout its entire life and never metamorphoses. They are nocturnal and secretive, hiding under large rocks and debris in deeper water. Despite being fairly common, they are rarely seen.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Mudpuppies are often caught by fishermen and are sometimes killed out of fear — they are completely harmless and are actually an indicator of healthy river water quality."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.