Siren salamander?

[GreenArrow]

Its hard to tell from your picture. Basically, a siren has external gills and no hind legs, while an amphiuma has 4 vestigal legs and no external gills, although it has a gill slit. The fore legs on the greater siren is also a bit larger (in relation to body) than on an amphiuma. There are some differences in head and tail also. Here is a crude drawing, but it does show some of the differences.

Those are great references, with that being said, I'm gonna have to say it is a Greater siren. Thanks.

[Cape]

i was hungry after the fish tacos thread, but not anymore. That thing is flat out nasty.

[Ouch]

I would crap my pants if I caught that thing on a plug...

[Bobcat]

McClain, Great Explanation.

They're around you just don't see them much. Add to that habitat degradation and exposure to chemicals and they are being effected like all amphibians.

Cool find. I spend a lot of time around the water when I can, but I've only seen one salamander in the wild (Corsicana) and one amphiuma by luck on a rainy evening (Cleburne) years ago. Very cool.

[JerryC]

Cool catch. Learned something new today. Thanks for sharing.

[Aggiebush]

Used to catch them all the time when I was a kid, we just called them mud puppies.

[Cuz]

Uuugh!

[manwitaplan]

Are those the same things as water dogs. If it is when the big bass are spawning we would smash the fish. You could get them as bait for a 50 cents a peice on houston county lake.

[Bobcat]

No, this is something completely different than a mudpuppy or "water dog" either.