Amphiuma pholeter
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| One-Toed Amphiuma | ||||||||||||||
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The One-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma pholeter) is an aquatic, eel-like salamander native to the south-eastern United States. Was first collected in 1950 by herpetologist W. T. Neill, this dwarf amphiuma seems more secretive than other members of its genus. Adapted for digging and tunneling, it tends to stick to its muddy burrows. Hence it is rarely observed in the wild, and its ways of life remain uncertain.
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[edit] Description
The One-toed Amphiuma is a mostly aquatic, black to dark brown salamander. It can be distinguished from its relatives by its smaller size, as well as the fact that One-toed Amphiumas have one toe on each foot as opposed to the two or three toes of the other members of its genus. This eel-like salamander reaches an average size of around 8.5 inches (220mm). It is the smallest species in the genus Amphiuma.
[edit] Distribution
One-toed Amphiumas are found in several parts of America, such as Florida, southern Georgia, and possibly south-eastern Alabama. It invests muck-bottomed ponds and intermittent streams.
[edit] Behavior
One-toed Amphiumas are carnivores active mostly at night. Their behavior is similar to that of the other members of its genus, preferring slow moving or stagnant, shallow water with either muddy bottoms or areas with weedy vegetation. Like all Amphiumas, One-toed Amphiumas eat small, aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish, annelid worms, insect larvae, and occasionally fish or amphibian larvae. Its breeding habits are unknown
[edit] References
- Mount, Robert H. 1975. The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama. The University of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians
