Necturus
| Necturus | |
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| Necturus maculosus maculosus | |
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| Genus: | Necturus (Rafinesque, 1818)
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6, See text | |
Necturus is a genus of aquatic salamanders endemic to the eastern United States and Canada. They are commonly known as waterdogs and mudpuppies. The common mudpuppy (N. maculosus) is probably the best-known species – as an amphibian with gill slits, it is often dissected in comparative anatomy classes.
Taxonomy
The genus is under scrutiny by herpetologists. The relationship between the species is still being studied. Most recently, the Red River mudpuppy (N. louisianensis) was elevated to full species status, after being considered only a subspecies of the common mudpuppy (N. maculosus), but not all herpetologists agree on this change.
The species are:
- Common mudpuppy (N. maculosus) (Rafinesque, 1818)
- Red River mudpuppy (N. louisianensis) Viosca, 1938
- Alabama waterdog (N. alabamensis) Viosca, 1937
- Gulf Coast waterdog (N. beyeri) Viosca, 1937
- Neuse River waterdog (N. lewisi) Brimley, 1924
- Dwarf waterdog (N. punctatus) (Gibbes, 1850)
References
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