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South Central ARMI
Guide to Louisiana Amphibians |
Large, elongate, eel-like salamander reaching up to 46 inches in length. Dorsum brown to black with a lighter gray venter and poorly defined throat patch. Two small, vestigial limbs contain two toes each. Long, laterally compressed tail. Primarily nocturnal. Moves overland through swamps on rainy nights, but primarily aquatic. Hide in crawfish burrows or under submerged debris during the daytime. Preys on crawfish, worms, small fish, snakes, frogs, insects, and crustaceans. Aestivate in burrows during seasonal droughts and may live up to three years without food. Very little is known about the reproductive behavior. Females lay approximately 200 eggs in bead-like strings and guard eggs until hatching. Primary prey of the mud snake, Farancia abacura. Populations exist in three Florida Parishes in almost all freshwater habitats.
Return to List of Salamander Species
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
