An Assessment of Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) Population Characteristics in Robert Allerton Park (Monticello, IL

Freshwater species across the globe are currently facing unparalleled declining population rates due to stressors such as urbanization, invasive species, point source pollutants, habitat destruction, and climate change. The conservation of the mudpuppy in its native range is of high concern, given that they are obligate hosts for the salamander mussel (Simpsonaias ambigua), the only mussel in North America to use a non-fish host. Despite the mudpuppy’s wide distribution, information regarding the species’ populations and trends are lacking in most areas. Thus, more extensive monitoring efforts are needed to better understand the species’ population trends, conservation needs, and ecological relationships.

This research surveys known locations of the mudpuppy within the Sangamon River in Robert Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, IL in an effort to gather baseline data about the species’ population size. In 2016 and 2017, presence and absence surveys for the mudpuppy within Allerton Park confirmed the species is present within the river. The density estimates from this mark and recapture survey will support a future proposal for a State Wildlife Grant (SWG). The potential SWG will be used to fund statewide environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys for both the mudpuppy and the salamander mussel to better understand their population sizes and distributions across Illinois. The development and refinement of mudpuppy sampling protocols is an additional benefit of this regional sampling that will support the future SWG and overall conservation of the species