It is illegal to kill or collect this species by law in Iowa. Found only in rivers and large streams, or connected ponds, these salamanders are often caught on hook and line while fishing off the bottom. The mudpuppy is Iowas largest salamander reaching lengths of 13-16 inches. They are also our only salamander that is entirely aquatic their whole lives.
Adults are brown, reddish-brown, or gray above with varying numbers and sizes of black spots.
Ventrally, they are gray with dark mottling. They have four toes on the front and back feet. Long, feathery red gills are very obvious on the sides of the head. The head is large and flattened. They have small, lidless eyes that do not bulge out from the head like our other salamanders.