[1][2] The three-toed amphiuma looks rather eel-like, with an elongate, dark gray-black, or brown colored body, and tiny vestigial legs.

[1] It is often found in bottomland marshes and lakes, seeps, bayous, cypress sloughs, and streams in areas with limestone bedrock.

They spend most of the time hiding in heavily vegetated areas of permanent bodies of slow moving water, such as swamps, ponds and lakes.

This allows males to avoid wasting extra energy producing another spermatophore after each mating session, and consequently creates a polygynous dynamic between the individuals.

[5] The three-toed amphiuma has the largest recorded red blood cells of any animal measuring 70x40 μm.