Two-Toed Amphiuma
Amphiuma means
The Two-Toed Amphiuma is a large, eel-like native salamander that lives in Florida wetlands, ponds, canals, and muddy ditches.
The Two-Toed Amphiuma is one of the longest salamanders in the United States. Its cylindrical body, tiny limbs, and smooth dark skin often lead people to mistake it for an eel or snake.
It spends most of its life in shallow water or soft mud. During drought it can shelter deep in wet substrate or crayfish burrows until water returns.
Habitat:
Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes and Ponds, Rivers and Springs, Canals and Ditches
Area / Range:
Statewide, Florida Panhandle, North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida
Diet:
A carnivorous opportunist that eats crayfish, aquatic insects, small fish, frogs, smaller salamanders, snails, and other prey it can overpower.
Behavior:
Mostly nocturnal. It hides in vegetation, burrows, and soft bottom sediment during the day, then forages in shallow water at night. Heavy rain sometimes brings individuals onto roads or saturated ground.
Night, Dusk
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Warm rainy nights near wetlands, canals, and shallow vegetated ponds
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Not federally or state listed. Wetland drainage, shoreline clearing, water pollution, road mortality, and loss of shallow vegetated habitat can reduce local populations.
Safety Level:
Moderate Risk
Safety Information:
Not venomous, but a large amphiuma has strong jaws and can deliver a painful bite. Do not handle one with bare hands. Allow it to move away or contact a wildlife professional if relocation is necessary.
Benefits to Property:
Helps balance wetland food webs by consuming crayfish, insects, and small aquatic animals. Its presence indicates connected wet habitat with suitable cover.
Property Concerns:
It does not damage structures or landscapes. It may enter flooded yards, drainage ditches, or retention areas after heavy rain. Protect wetland edges and avoid unnecessary chemical treatments.
Fun Fact:
Despite its eel-like appearance, it is a salamander with lungs, four tiny limbs, and two toes on each foot. Females guard strings of eggs in moist sites near water.
Wildlife Laws:
The Two-Toed Amphiuma is not specifically listed as threatened in Florida. General wildlife rules and all park, preserve, and public-land collection restrictions still apply. Observe it where found and do not collect wildlife from protected lands without authorization.
Identification:
The body is dark gray, brown, or black above and lighter below. Four tiny limbs are present, and each foot has two toes. The head is broad with small lidless eyes and a visible gill slit on each side.
Adults commonly measure 14 to 30 inches, but exceptional individuals approach four feet.