Mudpuppy Night
February 4, 2005
This past week we decided to finally attend "Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills" for some of the best mudpuppy viewing in the world.
Every Friday night throughout the winter, Dr. Fred Schueler heads out to study the giant aquatic Salamanders at the only place in Ontario where they're known to be easily viewed during their winter activity. The exact location is Kemptville Creek below the dam at Oxford Mills across from the Brigadoon Restaurant.
Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) are distinct from other salamanders in several ways: They stay in water all the time, they stay active in winter seeking out oxygen rich waters, they keep their gills all their life, and they are not poisonous.
Flat bedrock and clear shallow water provide safe footing for researchers and spectators. Several people had brought bright spotlights to see the mudpuppies in the water and with a net and bucket, a few were brought to shore to let everyone get a close-up look.
A view of the dam in Oxford Mills where we met at 8pm Friday night.
Fred and the Major breaking up the ice so that the mudpuppies can get more oxygen and be better seen.
We joined a group from the Ottawa Field Naturalists to see the mudpuppies.
A mudpuppy in the water -
without a powerful spotlight its hard to make them out, and even harder to get a photo.
3 mudpuppies in a bucket -
Maggie (the small one), Mortimer (the big one) and Millicent (the middle one).
We were invited to try and hold one of the slippery mudpuppies in our hands.
Isn't Mortimer cute? Apparently the spots on each mudpuppy are distinct enough to identify one from another.
Rubby managed to hold on to him.
Check out the flat tail!
Fred Schueler found a huge mudpuppy for us to look at - Say hello to Moe!
Will Moe enjoy some fine dining in the bucket?
We tried to get a picture of the bright red oxygen rich gills.
Moe gives Rubby a high five.