Proteidae - Olms and Mudpuppies |
Large neotenic salamanders with conspicuous external gills and laterally compressed tails. This is a small family with 6 species in 2 genera. Five species of mudpuppies and waterdogs (Necturus) inhabit lakes and streams of eastern North America, and the Olm (Proteus anguinus) is restricted to caves of the northern Balkan Peninsula.