| Gulf Coast Waterdog | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Proteidae |
| Genus: | Necturus |
| Species: | N. beyeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Necturus beyeri Viosca, 1937 |
|
The Gulf Coast Waterdog, Speckled Waterdog or Beyer’s Waterdog (Necturus beyeri) is a species of aquatic salamander native to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in the United States.
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Gulf coast waterdogs grow to lengths of 6-8.5 inches and are an overall brown in color, with lighter brown and black speckling. Due to their entirely aquatic nature, their legs are short, with four-toed feet. They have external gills, which look like feathery appendages on either side of their heads. They have a paddle-shaped, flattened tail.
They have lungs as well as gills and they are typically found hiding among rocks in clear, spring fed streams with sandy bottoms. They will consume almost any small aquatic invertebrate they can catch. They also have two legs.
There has been significant controversy over the taxonomy of in the genus Necturus, particularly in regard to N. alabamensis, N. beyeri, and N. maculosus. However, electrophoretic evidence suggests N. beyeri is a distinct species (Petranka, 1998).