Order Caudata
Salamanders

 

Family Amphiumidae - Conger Eels


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Amphiuma tridactylum
Amphiuma tridactylum Culver - Three-toed Amphiuma

Click Here for an Updated Distribution Map, Bibliographical Information on Reports of New County Records, and Other Data That Have Appeared Since the Atlas Was Published in 1996.

Description: This large, aquatic, eel-like salamander attains total lengths of 45.7 to 76.0 cm. External gills are absent. Three toes are typically present on each of four diminutive limbs. The dark gray to black dorsal coloration, separated sharply from a light gray venter, gives the species a distinct bicolored appearance.

Distribution and Habitat: The three-toed amphiuma is an inhabitant of sluggish Coastal Plain streams, oxbow lakes, and flooded ditches in the Mississippi River drainages of West Tennessee. Parker (1948) reported a sight record from the Tennessee River drainage in Benton County, but we considered that record questionable.

Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Salthe, 1973).

FROGS Literature Cited

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This document was adapted to the WWW by Rusty Smith and Carol Mayo.