BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An aquatic lizard-like species whose head resembles a dog might not mean much to farmers but it’s quite a sight for people with one dangling from the end of their fishing pole.

The Mudpuppy salamander is listed as a species of concern by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

DNR suspects the number of Mudpuppy salamanders is dropping and the public’s help is being sought to find out.

“It’s kind of a Mudpuppy call out,” said Nate Engbrecht, a herpetologist with DNR out of Bloomington.

People statewide are asked to report sightings and submit pictures of what they saw for DNR to verify it was a Mudpuppy. The location and date of the spotting should also be included with the entries.

Engbrecht said current data indicates the four-legged salamanders, which can reach up to 18 inches long and live for 30 years or more, have long been declining in population.

That’s not known for sure, though, because they’re hard to see as they live strictly in the water.

Engbrecht said the Mudpuppies are often spotted on bottoms of lakes and rivers in clear shallow water during cold weather. Sometimes, they’re seen through holes cut into frozen lakes by ice fishermen or from shore once the ice starts melting. They head out to deeper, murkier water as conditions warm up.

“It seems like we get most of our Mudpuppy reports from the public during the cold season,” he said.

Most other sightings are when they’re reeled in on the line of a fishing pole meant for a bluegill, crappie, bass or some other fish during all parts of the year.  

“It’s difficult to get good numbers on them especially from around the state.  They’re tricky to locate,” he said.

In addition to their dog-like face, Engbrecht said the Mudpuppy’s unique features include feathery gills on the side of their head.

The data gathered from the public will be added to the information obtained from another Mudpuppy call out in 2020.

Engbrecht said sightings were reported then from all parts of Indiana, especially in the northeast, which has a large amount of inland waters.

Sightings were also reported at Lake Michigan and in the Ohio River.

Engbrecht said there could be an effort to restore their numbers depending on what the data reflects, once a sufficient enough amount of information has been collected.

Like any living creature, the salamanders play a role in maintaining balance in ecosystems. Engbrecht said they’re predators and get preyed upon as a food source.

The Mudpuppies are also critical to the survival of salamander mussels. He said the mussels, after birth, attach to the gills of Mudpuppies to obtain nutrients. 

The mussels later detach from the Mudpuppies and feed on particulates in the water.

Engbrecht said the feeding has sort of a filtering effect leaving the water cleaner.

The chance of a Mudpuppy winding up in the pond on a farm is slim to none unless the pond is tied into a lake, river or stream because the creatures never leave the water.

Engbrecht said response to the call for reported sightings has been tremendous since issued Jan. 25 in a post on the DNR’s Facebook page.

“A lot of people responding are posting photos of other types of salamanders but we certainly have had some legitimate Mudpuppy photos submitted from parts of the state,” he said.

Engbrecht said the data will be laid out in a way to show where the populations are greatest and which bodies of water might have more or fewer Mudpuppies than anticipated.

“It’s just more of building on the knowledge base of where these sightings occur. That’s kind of what this process is really,” he said.

Sightings and other information can be submitted at HerpSurveys@dnr.IN.gov.

People can also contact DNR at 812-334-1137.