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> This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. --Boundary_(ID_UAxOdtfp1CzV+3H0QM6GIg) Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Nellie and Chris, I can add a bit here. Since the external gills were noted, but not size etc., our native salamanders all have external gills when they are larvae in the water -- the EXCEPTION to this would be the RED-BACKED SALAMANDER, which is totally terrestrial and passes through the externally-gilled stage IN THE EGG before hatching as a miniature adult. That said, the gilled larvae of newts and four-toed salamanders are quite small and unlikely to be noticed while larvae. But the YELLOW-SPOTTED and BLUE-SPOTTED SALAMANDERS (former are much more widespread) have aquatic gilled larvae that are mud-puppy-coloured (grayish-olive-brownish) and get up to (guessing) 5 cm. or 2 inches long or so before losing their gills in transforming into terrestrial juveniles. Thus my guess is that Nellie's acquaintance noticed larvae of yellow-spotte= d salamanders -- depending on the water temperature where the eggs were laid, such larvae may transform in late summer or autumn or overwinter and transform when a year old. Also, anyone who has ever seen a mud puppy would never mistake a red-spotte= d newt for one -- besides the lack of external gills, the size and shape are all wrong. Perhaps John Gilhen can add something to this. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ---------- From: c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:06:29 -0300 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mudpuppy Hi Nellie, Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) do not occur in the Maritime Provinces. The= y are found from western New England to Manitoba south into the drainage systems of the Tennessee and Missouri Rivers. In Nova Scotia, however, we d= o have red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus=A0viridescens), which are aquatic salamanders. They are considerably smaller than mudpuppies (< 5" vs. < 17") and don't have the conspicuous external gills of mudpuppies, but they are found in lakes and ponds and do look superficially similar. Cheers! Chris On 14-Oct-07, at 11:50 AM, nellie wrote: Dear friends: Do we have mudpuppies in ponds in N.S. My friend says she saw some yesterda= y and I have never seen one.=A0 They are of the salamander family and have external gills. =A0 My old reference book by J. Lynton Martin does not mention them. I would appreciate hearing where these have been seen if in N.S. Thank You Nellie Snyder, Crousetown, Lunenburg Co. N.S. _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada=A0 B3H 3A6 (902) 424-6435 =A0 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. --Boundary_(ID_UAxOdtfp1CzV+3H0QM6GIg) Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>FW: [NatureNS] Mudpuppy</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> Nellie and Chris, I can add a bit here. Since the external gills were= noted, but not size etc., our native salamanders all have external gills wh= en they are larvae in the water -- the EXCEPTION to this would be the RED-BA= CKED SALAMANDER, which is totally terrestrial and passes through the externa= lly-gilled stage IN THE EGG before hatching as a miniature adult. That= said, the gilled larvae of newts and four-toed salamanders are quite small = and unlikely to be noticed while larvae. But the YELLOW-SPOTTED and BL= UE-SPOTTED SALAMANDERS (former are much more widespread) have aquatic gilled= larvae that are mud-puppy-coloured (grayish-olive-brownish) and get up to (= guessing) 5 cm. or 2 inches long or so before losing their gills in transfor= ming into terrestrial juveniles.<BR> <BR> Thus my guess is that Nellie's acquaintance noticed larvae of yellow-spotte= d salamanders -- depending on the water temperature where the eggs were laid= , such larvae may transform in late summer or autumn or overwinter and trans= form when a year old.<BR> <BR> Also, anyone who has ever seen a mud puppy would never mistake a red-spotte= d newt for one -- besides the lack of external gills, the size and shape are= all wrong.<BR> <BR> Perhaps John Gilhen can add something to this.<BR> <BR> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville <BR> ----------<BR> <B>From: </B>c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca<BR> <B>Date: </B>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:06:29 -0300<BR> <B>To: </B>naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR> <B>Subject: </B>Re: [NatureNS] Mudpuppy<BR> <BR> Hi Nellie,<BR> <BR> Mudpuppies (<I>Necturus maculosus</I>) do not occur in the Maritime Provinc= es. They are found from western New England to Manitoba south into the drain= age systems of the Tennessee and Missouri Rivers. In Nova Scotia, however, w= e do have red-spotted newts (<I>Notophthalmus=A0viridescens</I>), which are aq= uatic salamanders. They are considerably smaller than mudpuppies (< 5&quo= t; vs. < 17") and don't have the conspicuous external gills of mudpu= ppies, but they are found in lakes and ponds and do look superficially simil= ar.<BR> <BR> Cheers!<BR> <BR> Chris<BR> <BR> On 14-Oct-07, at 11:50 AM, nellie wrote:<BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Dear friends:<BR> Do we have mudpuppies in ponds in N.S. My friend says she saw some yesterda= y and I have never seen one.=A0 They are of the salamander family and have ext= ernal gills.<BR> =A0<BR> My old reference book by J. Lynton Martin does not mention them. I would ap= preciate hearing where these have been seen if in N.S.<BR> Thank You<BR> Nellie Snyder, Crousetown, Lunenburg Co. N.S.<BR> </FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <BR> <BR> <FONT FACE=3D"Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.= _._._._._._._._._.</FONT> <BR> <BR> <FONT FACE=3D"Times">Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural Histor= y</FONT> <BR> <BR> <FONT FACE=3D"Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada=A0 B3H 3A= 6</FONT> <BR> <BR> <FONT FACE=3D"Times">(902) 424-6435 =A0 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca></= FONT> <BR> <BR> <FONT FACE=3D"Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.= _._._._._._._._._.</FONT> <BR> <BR> <BR> </BODY> </HTML> --Boundary_(ID_UAxOdtfp1CzV+3H0QM6GIg)--
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