| Dwarf waterdog | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dwarf waterdog (Necturus punctatus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Proteidae |
| Genus: | Necturus |
| Species: | N. punctatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Necturus punctatus (Gibbes, 1850) | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
Menobranchus punctatusGibbes, 1850 Contents | |
The dwarf waterdog (Necturus punctatus) is an aquatic salamander endemic to the Eastern United States. [1] [3] [4] It is the smallest member of the family Proteidae. [4]
This species is usually between 11.5 and 19 cm (4.5 and 7.5 in) long. It has bushy, narrow gills and a compressed tail. All feet have four toes. The salamander is uniform slate gray to brown or dark olive dorsally and dirty white ventrally. Most individuals have no dorsal spots; when the dorsal spots are present, the venter is unspotted (unlike in Necturus lewisi , which is also a larger species). Juveniles are uniformly brown dorsally (as opposed to striped, as in other juvenile Necturus). [4]
Necturus punctatus is found on the Atlantic coastal plain and the Piedmont of the eastern United States, from southeastern Virginia to southcentral Georgia. [1] [3] Populations further west into Alabama and Florida represent another, undescribed species. [3]
Dwarf waterdogs live in slow, sand- or mud-bottomed streams and connected ditches, cypress swamps; also stream-fed rice fields and mill ponds. They prefer bottoms with leaf litter and other detritus. During winter juveniles burrow into bottom and adults in leaf beds. [1]
Necturus punctatus is not considered threatened—it has a relatively wide range, with viable populations through most of it. It is not facing major threats, and it is present in several protected areas. [1]
