Mud puppy Salamanders
Zion Hodges period 2 5/16/16
Habitat
Most mudpuppy's are found in Central Canada, Midwest America, Mississippi, Georgia, And Carolina.(Softschool) They also spend there whole life in freshwater like streams, lakes, or muddy waters.(softschool)The mudpuppy's live in very harsh conditions sometimes they are caught by fishing nets! but they are not counted endangered.(soft school)
Movement
The mudpuppy has a flat head with small eyes and a big mouth.(softschool) It's body is really thick the legs are short and has clawless toes.(softschool)They have a wide tail.(soft school)They use there feet as a boost to get them away from predators and to swim faster.( Maryland)
Body Covering
The mud puppy's body is usually gray-brown or pale, they are also are all covered in small dark brown spots they mostly on there belly.(Maryland)They have no hair on there body.( Soft school)Since mud puppy's are amphibians they do not shed or molt there skin.The mud puppy is an vertebrate but they can fit in really tight spaces.
Diet
Mudpuppy's eat anything they can chew like, small fish, crayfish, insects, snails ,and even other fish eggs. The mudpuppy dose not drink because it lives in water it is a carnivore. The mudpuppy's diet never changes while they age but the crayfish is a big part of there diet. Even though they are carnivores they also get eaten by anything that is bigger than them.
Reproduction
The mudpuppy's only go in groups when it is mating season. the female stores the sperm in her cloaca until spring comes. The mudpuppy has internal fertilization, the females can lay 18-180 larva eggs. It takes the mudpuppy mostly4-6 years for the mudpuppy to reach Reproduction stage. Females stay with there eggs until it is hatching time for the larva's. Most mudpuppy's prefer clear water for there reproduction.
Adaptations
The mudpuppy has the ability to regrow any lost limbs or tails. They can regrow parts of their brains TOO! the mudpuppy get's it's gills in metamorphosis and the gills take oxygen out of the water witch helps them breath in very dirty waters. Mudpuppy's have sensory scales all over there body witch helps deal with the predators such as bigger salamanders, and large fish. The mudpuppy's are usually active during the day. They also travel to deeper waters in the winter and also summer but they like shallow waters in spring and fall. Most of them use there legs to walk around but some swim just like fish.
Other Info
Most of the mudpuppy's get caught by fisher men and then they can possibly get eaten by the fisher men but all of the salamanders have poison in there guts! The females Dig a really cool nest in the water to lay there eggs. The mudpuppy can grow 2o-33cm the mudpuppy is cold blooded. In the wild the mudpuppy can live up to 11 years. They are called the mudpuppy because they make a barking noise that we can't hear.