FaunaHub

Amphiuma (genus Amphiuma)

AmphibianSalamanderAquatic

Amphiuma (Amphiuma means), a long, eel-like aquatic salamander with tiny legs.

Two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means).

Image: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Amphiumas (genus Amphiuma) are long, eel-like, fully aquatic salamanders of the southeastern United States, and among the longest amphibians in North America — some reaching well over a metre. Slick, grey-to-brown, and snake-like in the water, an amphiuma has four legs, but they are so absurdly tiny and weak as to be almost useless for walking; species are even named for how many toes those little limbs bear (one-toed, two-toed, and three-toed amphiumas).

Despite the misleading nicknames “conger eel” or “ditch eel,” amphiumas are amphibians, not fish. They are nocturnal predators of swamps and ditches, and a large one has powerful jaws and can deliver a genuinely painful bite if handled.

Note: “amphiuma” covers a few species; details here use the two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means) as a reference. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Amphiumas live in the wetlands of the southeastern United States — swamps, marshes, sluggish streams, ditches, ponds, and bayous, often in muddy, mucky, slow or still water with plenty of cover. They are highly aquatic, spending their lives in the water and burrows in the mud, and can survive dry spells by retreating into moist mud.

Diet

Amphiumas are carnivores that hunt at night for a variety of prey — crayfish, worms, insects, small fish, frogs, snails, and other small animals — seizing them with strong jaws. They are ambush and active hunters in the water and mud, and their powerful bite reflects a diet that includes hard-shelled crayfish.

Behavior

Amphiumas swim with eel-like undulations, their tiny legs playing essentially no role in locomotion, and they are mostly nocturnal, hiding by day in burrows, mud, and dense vegetation. They retain gill slits but breathe largely by gulping air at the surface (with lungs) as adults, having lost the external gills of their larval stage. In dry conditions they can burrow into the mud and survive within a moist cocoon until water returns. Females lay eggs in moist burrows or under cover, often guarding them. Because of their size and strength, amphiumas can inflict a sharp, painful bite, so they should be handled only with care, if at all.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Amphiumas are little known to the public and are sometimes caught by anglers (who may mistake them for eels), but they are harmless to people if left alone — a large one can bite hard if grabbed, so they are best not handled. They depend on healthy wetlands and can be affected by drainage, pollution, and habitat loss, though several remain reasonably common within their range. Consult AmphibiaWeb and the IUCN Red List for species-specific status.

More photos of the amphiuma

An amphiuma showing its slick, elongated body and reduced limbs.

Amphiuma (Amphiuma means).

Image: Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Amphiuma

Is an amphiuma an eel?
No — despite nicknames like 'conger eel' or 'ditch eel,' an amphiuma is an amphibian: a long, eel-like, fully aquatic salamander, not a fish. Its slick, elongated body and snake-like swimming cause the confusion, but it has four (tiny) legs and the biology of a salamander, not the fins and gills of a true eel.
Why does the amphiuma have such tiny legs?
Its four legs are greatly reduced — so small and weak they're essentially useless for walking — because the amphiuma has adapted to a fully aquatic, eel-like life, swimming by undulating its body. The legs are vestigial reminders of its salamander ancestry, and species are even named by the number of toes on these little limbs (one-, two-, and three-toed amphiumas).
Can an amphiuma bite?
Yes — a large amphiuma has strong jaws and can deliver a genuinely painful bite if grabbed or handled, which is why it should be treated with care. It uses that powerful bite to catch and crush prey like crayfish. It isn't aggressive toward people and poses no threat if left alone, but it's not an animal to handle casually.
How does an amphiuma survive when its swamp dries up?
It burrows into the mud. When water levels drop, an amphiuma can dig into moist mud and wait out the dry period within a damp burrow or cocoon, becoming inactive until water returns. This lets it persist in wetlands that periodically dry out, such as ditches and seasonal swamps.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.