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Red River waterdog

Necturus louisianensis · Salamanders and newts · Amphibians

Red River waterdog (Necturus louisianensis): Smaller than the mudpuppy, maximum about 12 inches; lighter grey-brown or red-brown ground colour. Dark spots on the upper body more distinct and more numerous than on the mudpuppy. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Scientific name
Necturus louisianensis
Family
Proteidae
In North America
Native
Range
Northern Louisiana north to Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri and southeastern Kansas.
Biology

How to identify it

Smaller than the mudpuppy, maximum about 12 inches; lighter grey-brown or red-brown ground colour. [1][2]

Dark spots on the upper body more distinct and more numerous than on the mudpuppy. [1][2]

Belly has a wide, light, unspotted central area, light grey with pale pink edges. [1][2]

Compared with the mudpuppy: Common mudpuppy is larger (to about 19 in); Red River mudpuppy has a lighter ground colour, more numerous spots and a wide pale unspotted belly strip. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a red river waterdog before you act. Compared with the mudpuppy: Common mudpuppy is larger (to about 19 in); Red River mudpuppy has a lighter ground colour, more numerous spots and a wide pale unspotted belly strip.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Missouri's mudpuppy account says mudpuppies are permanently aquatic in large creeks, rivers and reservoirs, hiding by day under logs, rocks and debris; the Red River mudpuppy replaces the common mudpuppy in the southernmost quarter of the state. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Limited legal take

Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Northern Louisiana north to Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri and southeastern Kansas.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. Missouri Department of Conservation · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Missouri Department of Conservation