Conservation and Research Specialist, Brooklynne Keber holding one of the Manitoba mudpuppies caught during the winter field sampling. Since mudpuppies do not hibernate and become more active as water temperatures drop, our team had to put on their snowsuits to go searching for mudpuppies! Photo by K. Eckhardt. 

In 2024, the Conservation and Research team started working on an exciting new project that uses cutting-edge species detection technology to track one of Manitoba’s most mysterious residents! The Manitoba mudpuppy (i.e., Manitoban populations of the Common mudpuppy) is a fully aquatic salamander, just like its better-known relative, the axolotl.

What is a Mudpuppy? 
Have you ever been fishing and caught something resembling a burbot (a freshwater fish found in Manitoba, also known as mariah/lingcod/eelpout) with legs? Or an axolotl? It may have been a mudpuppy – also known as waterdogs.

BLK24001_04.jpg (748 KB)

Using water-filled small acrylic tanks, we can take measurements of Manitoba mudpuppy while keeping them submerged in water. Notice their brightly coloured fringed gills – the red colour suggests this individual is healthy! It was also too large for our holding tank and measured almost 30 cm! Photo by K. Eckhardt. 

Fun Facts about Mudpuppies:

  • The Common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is the only fully aquatic salamander native to Canada. They are found most often in the southern parts of Ontario (like the Great Lakes) but are also found in Manitoba, though their whereabouts in Manitoba are not well documented or understood.
  • Like axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), mudpuppies are paedomorphic, which means they never fully grow up! They keep some of their larval (or baby) features their whole lives, like their gills, which allow them to breathe underwater.
  • Mudpuppies are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night. If the water is murky, they are sometimes active during the day, but they typically spend their days hiding under logs and rocks and in deeper water. This can make finding and studying them quite difficult, so most records of their presence in Manitoba are based on records from anglers who have caught a mudpuppy while fishing – especially while ice fishing.
  • Mudpuppies don’t hibernate and in fact, they are most active during the coldest months of the year!
  • While mudpuppies can swim, they often walk or crawl along the bed of a body of water using their legs!  

Unfortunately, the Manitoba mudpuppy is considered Threatened. Salamanders and amphibians, in general, are very sensitive to changes in water quality because their skin is permeable, so they are often used as indicators of ecosystem health. There are several threats to the health and well-being of aquatic ecosystems in Canada, including increased water pollution and invasive species, which may be affecting populations of mudpuppy in Manitoba.

Our Project

In 2024, the Conservation and Research team began the first step in working towards understanding and protecting Manitoba mudpuppy. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and habitat surveys, we are working to figure out where mudpuppies live in Manitoba. This cutting-edge method of sampling collects eDNA from the environment, which is simply DNA (the genetic material) that is naturally shed by organisms into its environment! All living beings are constantly shedding DNA, so by using eDNA sampling, we can detect the presence of Manitoba mudpuppy in a waterbody by collecting and testing for their eDNA in a sample!

WPGR03_21102024_08.jpg (683 KB)

Using specialized equipment, we can collect and filter environmental DNA water samples at the same time! These tools also reduce the risk of contamination of our samples and allow us to collect our samples without having to permanently remove water from the river or lake. Photo by B. L. Keber. 

To do this, we use specialized equipment to collect water samples and filter out the eDNA from the sample. Then, we use laboratory techniques to detect mudpuppy eDNA! Using this type of sampling, we can look for mudpuppies at more sites than if we were trying to catch them.

In this first year, we needed to capture mudpuppies to collect samples of their DNA before releasing them back into the water. This was necessary because we needed their DNA to make sure our methods worked to detect Manitoba mudpuppies. In total, we caught and released four mudpuppies – the largest was almost 30 cm long!

This winter and spring, we are continuing to work in the laboratory to make sure our methods work. Then, we will be testing these methods on our collected and filtered eDNA samples from last fall. This project has two big contributions – it will provide a tool for other mudpuppy researchers to use, and it will help us understand more about where mudpuppies are in our province.

What You Can Do

Interested in what you can do to help us understand and protect mudpuppies?

  • Remember to take care of Manitoba’s streams, rivers, and lakes! This includes reducing the pollution of these waterbodies and preventing the spread of invasive aquatic species.
  • If you catch a mudpuppy accidentally while fishing, carefully release it back into the water, making sure you do not touch its gills.
  • If you do see a mudpuppy, let us know by emailing the Conservation and Research team or posting the observation on iNaturalist.

You can help support the important work of the Conservation and Research team by visiting the Zoo or Park or donating to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.