| Dwarf waterdog | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Proteidae |
| Genus: | Necturus |
| Species: | N. punctatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Necturus punctatus (Gibbes, 1850) | |
| Synonyms | |
| Menobranchus punctatus Gibbes, 1850 | |
The dwarf waterdog (Necturus punctatus) is an aquatic salamander, the smallest member of the family Proteidae, and is endemic to the United States.
Description
This species is usually between 4.5 and 7.5 in (11.4–18.9 cm) long, and has bushy, narrow gills and a compressed tail. All feet have four toes. The salamander is dark brown or slate-grey to black above, and has a grey belly with a bluish-white band along the midline. Unlike other members of the family Proteidae, it is without any black spots.
Habitat
Dwarf waterdogs live in slow-moving, muddy or sandy-bottomed streams and associated deep irrigation ditches.
Geographic range
Necturus punctatus is found on the coastal plain from southeastern Virginia to southcentral Georgia,[1] and may extend westward along the Gulf Coastal plain.
References
- ^ Conant, Roger. 1975. A field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, 2nd edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians.