Mudpuppy
Necturus maculosus

The proteids are found mostly in eastern North American, but there is one species known from caves in Europe. All members of this family are perennibranchiate, meaning they retain external gills (a major site of respiration) throughout their lives. The proteids exhibit a reduction in the number of digits: The North American proteids (genus Necturus) have four toes at the end of each limb, and the European genus Proteus has three on the forelimbs, but only two on each of the hindlimbs.