amphiuma

amphiuma
/am'fee yooh"meuh/, n.
an aquatic, eellike salamander of the genus Amphiuma, of the southeastern U.S., having two pairs of very small feet.
[ < NL Amphiuma name of the genus, prob. irreg. formation. See AMPHI-, PNEUMA]

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also called  Congo eel , or  Congo snake (Amphiuma) 

      any of three species of North American salamanders belonging to the family Amphiumidae (order Caudata). Because they are long and slender and have inconspicuous legs, they are often mistaken for eels or snakes. The body is gray or brown and paler on the lower side. The usual habitat is swamps and drainage ditches.

      Although there are both three-toed and one-toed species, the most widely distributed (Virginia to Louisiana) is Amphiuma means, which usually grows to 46–116 cm (18–46 inches) in length and has two toes on each foot. Amphiumas have strong jaws and sharp teeth and, unlike most salamanders, can bite viciously. Their diet consists chiefly of crayfish, clams, snails, and other small animals. Fertilization is internal, and the female lays from 40 to 350 eggs in a single clutch.

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  • Amphiuma — Temporal range: Pleistocene–present …   Wikipedia

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  • Amphiuma — Amphiuma …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Amphiuma — Am phi*u ma ([a^]m f[i^]*[=u] m[.a]), n. (Zo[ o]l.) A genus of amphibians, inhabiting the Southern United States, having a serpentlike form, but with four minute limbs and two persistent gill openings; the Congo snake. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Amphiūma — (Zool.), so v.w. Aalmolch …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Amphiūma — Amphiūma, s. Aalmolch …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Amphiuma — Amphiuma …   Wikipédia en Français

  • amphiuma — amphiume [ɑ̃fjym] ou amphiuma [ɑ̃fjyma] n. m. ÉTYM. 1838; lat. zool. amphiuma, d orig. inconnue. ❖ ♦ Zool. Batracien urodèle qui a l apparence d une grosse anguille munie de quatre pattes minuscules, qui vit dans les marais d Amérique et peut… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • amphiuma — [ˌamfɪ ju:mə] noun a fully aquatic eel like amphibian of the south eastern US. [Genus Amphiuma.] Origin mod. L., prob. from amphi + Gk pneuma breath …   English new terms dictionary

  • amphiuma — noun aquatic eel shaped salamander having two pairs of very small feet; of still muddy waters in the southern United States • Syn: ↑congo snake, ↑congo eel, ↑blind eel • Hypernyms: ↑salamander • Member Holonyms: ↑genus Amphiuma …   Useful english dictionary

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