Three-toed eel newt
| Three-toed eel newt | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Three- toed eel newt ( Amphiuma tridactylum ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Amphiuma tridactylum | ||||||||||||
| Cuvier , 1827 |
The three- toed eel newt ( Amphiuma tridactylum ) is a species of the eel newt (Amphiumidae). It can reach a maximum body length of over one meter and is distributed from the Mississippi Rift north to the southern border of Illinois and Texas .
features
The three-toed eel newt, like the two-toed eel newt ( A. means ), has an average body length of around 35 to 76 centimeters, with record lengths of up to 1.06 meters being documented. The newt is elongated and has no rear legs; its small front legs are each equipped with three toes, which is how the animal got its name and can also be distinguished from the other species in the family. The body color is gray-black to brown, with the belly side being a little lighter.
distribution
His home extends from the Mississippi Rift north to the southern border of Illinois and west to eastern Texas . The distribution area includes all types of water from small and large ponds and floodplains to swamps and lakes to slowly flowing rivers.
Way of life
The three-toed eel newt lives almost exclusively in the aquatic environment and only comes ashore in very wet weather in the area of swamps and floodplains. They often hide in the mud or under detritus and wait for prey such as insects, amphibians, crabs, snakes or smaller fish to swim past.
literature
- Roger Conant, Joseph T. Collins: A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians. Eastern and Central North America. The Peterson Field Guide Series, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and New York 1998. ISBN 0-395-90452-8 .
Web links
- Amphiuma tridactylum in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Hammerson, 2004. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.