SLIMY STUFF: Gracie Kemick in Derrick City tells us her
son-in-law Scott Pingie and his son, Isaiah, caught one of those
ugly little creatures which we showed readers in a photograph in
Wednesday’s Round the Square.

She called it a mudpuppy – although most of our readers swear
it’s a spotted salamander.

Whatever it was, they kept it alive for a short period of time
before returning it to a nearby pond. While she, too, agreed with
our assessment of its unpleasant countenance she did say it was a
beautiful, shiny, blue-purple color.

On the same slimy subject today, we hear from Tony Doriguzzi of
Bradford with all the gory details:

“That definitely isn’t a mudpuppy! It is an Ambystoma maculatum,
or spotted salamander. This salamander, which can grow to 6-7
inches, was probably on its way to a seasonal woodland breeding
pond, enticed by the recent rains. I haven’t seen one of those
around here since the early 1980s when my father, Joe Doriguzzi,
found one that had waltzed right into McCourt Label in Lewis
Run.

“It was a remarkable looking creature.”

“Speaking of mudpuppies (giant salamanders also known as
waterdogs), this would be a good opportunity to mention the
importance of conserving this misunderstood species.

“Due to their rather strange appearance, the mudpuppy is
mistakenly thought to be dangerous to people and game fish, so
anglers that catch them will often kill them.

“Incidentally, the mudpuppy is the only host that is used by the
developing larva of the rare salamander mussel, which is found in
the Allegheny River watershed. This freshwater mussel, which is
listed as critically imperiled in Pennsylvania and is a possible
candidate for the PA threatened and endangered species list, uses
the mudpuppy’s gills as a temporary host.

“I don’t particularly like catching the slimy, homely-looking
mudpuppies when I am fishing but I always let them go. I hope
others will do the same (especially since there is no open
season/possession regulation on them).”

LAST WORDS: We have lived in this area many years and have never
seen a spotted salamander. Wikipedia explains that they are seldom
seen because they are usually hiding beneath ground level. They are
also nocturnal. While we have no argument with this shy creatures,
but are nonetheless happy to know a chance encounter is
unlikely.