Distribution, Habitat, and Seasonal Activity of the Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) in Eastern Kansas

Abstract

While known to be declining in many parts of the Midwest, conservation status of the Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is uncertain in Kansas, where almost nothing is known of its distribution and population sizes. I conducted trapping surveys to describe the species' distribution and assessed water chemistry and landscape variables to predict its occurrence. Target sites in rivers of eastern Kansas included locations of known historical occurrence, low- water dams, and access points at bridges along public roads. I also trapped Mudpuppies in two reservoirs—Pomona Lake and Melvern Lake—to study seasonal activity patterns, bait preference, and local population sizes. From June 2017–April 2020, I caught 13 individuals at 12 locations in rivers and 251 individuals in the two reservoirs, with a catch per unit effort of 0.006 and 0.027 per trap night, respectively. Mudpuppy activity was highest between early November and late April and exhibited a bimodal distribution at Melvern Lake, with peaks at the beginning and end of that period. Mudpuppies entered traps with chicken liver slightly more frequently than those with other baits, but they also regularly entered unbaited traps. Study areas at Pomona Lake and Melvern Lake had populations estimated to be 818.5  537.0 and 967.9  507.9 individuals, respectively ( x  1 SE). Mudpuppies were predominantly distributed in the upper reaches of streams. Thirteen of 14 sites were located in the northern half of my study area and over half were in the Marais des Cygnes River drainage, which occupies much of that region.