# Help me identify this amphibian from memory... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357 "2008-03-22T18:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/1 "2008-03-22T18:25:51Z")
When I was a kid, on a few occasions I distinctly recall a very strange creature I’d occasionally see when visiting the pet stores and I may even recall us owning one once. I’ll try to describe it to the best of my ability: it looked like a salamander but it had all these protrusions around its head. I also remember it having a rather interesting common name (salamander wasn’t in the common name at all) that seemed to have another animals name within it. I just looked at some pictures of Mud Puppies but I seem to recall this particular creature as having more separated protrusions. One important detail I can’t seem to recall is whether the creature had the protrusions on the top of its head making it look like hair, or on the bottom, making it look like a thick beard. Any ideas? I’ve been searching for a while and it’s killing me! I’m sure if I heard the name I’d perk up (but then again I perked up when I saw “mud puppy” and it turned out to be something else from what my memory retains). ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/2 "2008-03-22T18:34:36Z")
maybe a [hellbender](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender)? > [@](#): > > the Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is a large salamander, native to North America, which inhabits large, swiftly flowing streams with rocky bottoms. Vernacular names include “snot otter”, “devil dog”, and “Allegheny alligator”. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/3 "2008-03-22T18:50:28Z")
Hmm based on the Google images pictures of the hellbender, I don’t think so. I want to say the animal I’m thinking of almost had spike-like fleshy protrusions around the head, but it still looked oddly cute. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/4 "2008-03-22T19:12:13Z")
Some species of siren? That or one of the various species of mudpuppy seem most likely. [http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/ans/identify/species\_images/siren\_intermedia\_intermedia.jpg](http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/ans/identify/species_images/siren_intermedia_intermedia.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/5 "2008-03-22T19:21:19Z")
[Axolotl?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl) ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/6 "2008-03-22T19:25:07Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] [Axolotl?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl) [/QUOTE] That looks like it very well could be it… Those spikes are what I was thinking of. I recall this one as being darker colored but it does resemble Medusa (which is what I think I originally thought when I first saw it). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-amphibian-from-memory/442357/7 "2008-03-22T20:52:52Z")
[QUOTE=BrandonR] That looks like it very well could be it… Those spikes are what I was thinking of. I recall this one as being darker colored but it does resemble Medusa (which is what I think I originally thought when I first saw it). [/QUOTE] Axolotls are more commonly sold in pet stores than any other similar animal, so that’s almost certainly it. The form found in the wild is brown or black, and these are sometimes found in pet shops; the one in the Wiki link is a pale variety found in captivity.