pappy69
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Amphibian I.D.
Saw this dead amphibian on the beach at Gull Point on Presque Isle. The amphibian is at least one foot long and has four legs. The head is somewhat triangular. The tail is paddle-like. Anybody know what it it is? Appears to be a large salamander. 
post edited by pappy69 - 2008/12/29 19:48:15
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elephanthead
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:23:24
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looks like a big mud doggie to me.
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mikeg
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:28:45
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Yup! It's a mud puppy! And not an amphibian at all,but a fish rather! The are in the Proteidae group and live their entire life underwater.
post edited by mikeg - 2008/12/29 19:35:49
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*commander* 
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:30:59
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was TOLD a few years ago theyre hellbenders/muddogs? few years ago there were hundreds of them floating dead in the lake. some were approx. 15" long. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- begging to bench the stillers starting qb after a loss since 1933--a Pittsburgh tradition 
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Inukshuk
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:33:56
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It is a mud puppy and Mike, mud puppies are amphibian! They are referred to as aquatic salamanders.
Confusion will be my epitaph, as I walk a cracked and broken path.
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mikeg
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:40:47
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Actually, they are related to salamanders, but are not classed as an amphibian. They are in the Proteidae family of marine animals. They are born and live underwater. They have gills, too!
Hopefully I'm right and not making myself look foolish becuase I haven't looked this up at all, but I just remember this for some reason.
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Dream Catcher
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:51:30
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Yes sir ....... Mud puppy , hellbender, or water dog thats what I've always heard them being referred to as. . I have caught them on meal worms in Tionesta Creek fishing pellet heads and the allegheny river . They croak load if you hold em out of water . I don't think they can hurt you? However if / when I handled them always held em behind the gills and they will snap at you . I've seen them in many shades of green and brown.
post edited by Dream Catcher - 2008/12/29 19:52:21
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mikeg
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:55:24
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I know some guys down south who use them as bait in Lake Fork! The bigger the better they say...These guys don't blink an eye at bass under 10 lbs.
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KJH807
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 19:55:57
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hell benders are different from mud puppies pretty sure the dead guy is a mud puppy hellbenders are endangered/ threatend and live in cool cleear streams more info http://www.hellbenders.org/index.html
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Dream Catcher
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 20:27:51
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Well then the last I caught/released was in deed a hellbender in Tionesta creek and I guess I did not hold it behind the gills as they breath through thier skin LOL . Looked exactly like the one from the North Carolina picture from you're link. Thanks good info. Now do mud puppies have gills ? Is that the difference?
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KJH807
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 20:30:56
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Steeler Fan
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 20:49:26
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These are also found in French Creek.
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clinchknot
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 21:11:18
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Saw one of those laying on the ice at 20 mile on Sat. It looked pretty fresh, still very pliable.
I don't give a crap if anybody listens to me or not.
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Inukshuk
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 21:20:19
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ORIGINAL: mikeg
Actually, they are related to salamanders, but are not classed as an amphibian. They are in the Proteidae family of marine animals. They are born and live underwater. They have gills, too!
Hopefully I'm right and not making myself look foolish becuase I haven't looked this up at all, but I just remember this for some reason.
They are class amphibia, and family Proteidae, they do have gills (and lungs) and do live underwater, but they are amphibian. They are also called necturus, I dissected them in college for a comparative anatomy class.
Confusion will be my epitaph, as I walk a cracked and broken path.
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Dream Catcher
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 21:22:59
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Similar to the Mudpuppy, the Hellbender doesn't fully develop into the typical adult salamander form. Unlike the mudpuppy, the Hellbender does not have external gills. The legs are well-developed and used for locomotion on river bottoms.[info from link]
Nice link . I've been calling them one in the same all these years . Thanks KJH ,
I learned the hellbender breaths through its' skin as the mud puppy has gills. Perhaps if they stock more of these natural species the Gobies may meet thier demise??
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KJH807
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/29 21:33:54
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 a buddy and i were night walleye fishing in the back channel a few years ago and he got one... i had the link saved kinda freaky to catch in the dark
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muskiemeat
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 06:31:10
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hey dream i got one in tionesta 3 years ago 25.5 inches didnt weigh it tho, on a 8 inch sucker. theres alot of them critters there!
Fish to live...live to fish One Burbot, One Scotch, One Beerg
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hivue05
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 08:11:05
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JEB
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 09:07:33
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No summertime wading in sandles anymore.
We used to catch the hellbenders in the local trout stream in my area when we were kids when didn't know how to properly drift a bait. Just chunk it on on the bottom with lots of weight and we would catch one or two every year. The are ugly , but a valuable part of the ecosystem. Please release unharmed.
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gizmos
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 09:13:03
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Have caught several in the Ohio, and a few out of Hereford Manor also. Kept one in an aquarium years back and he seemed quite content(yea right) eating my left over minnows. Released him after I saw a couple minnows(some sort of stickleback ?) actually tearing at his gills. 
Eat what you catch,troll for cows.
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tippecanoe
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 10:41:03
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Ive seen one on enlow in washington/greene co when I was a kid. They get pretty big from what I understand. i thought that enlow was too polluted for them (I think they need clean water), appearantly not.
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pghmarty
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 11:19:52
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 Here is a mud puppy that I caught on a minnow a few years ago at the North Pier Ugly and mean!
post edited by pghmarty - 2008/12/31 00:46:47
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wilbur_83
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 13:11:15
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I've caught 2 (of the mud puppy sort) in the Little Beaver River near Darlington...both released unharmed...the kids freaked though....
They are a sign of heathy water...
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pappy69
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 14:57:35
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Thanks to everyone for the interesting discussion and useful information.
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hivue05
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RE: Amphibian I.D.
2008/12/30 16:07:43
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Chest Creek in Cambria county has a decent population of hellbenders.
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