Maine’s Severe Winter Devastating To Mud Runts?
April 12, 2008
This is exclusive breaking news!!!
I just received word from Ron Fournier and Gary Inman, outdoor enthusiasts of questionable integrity, burdened with knowledge of the wilds and at times way too much time on their hands. It seems that in their search efforts to locate spring in Maine and bestow it on the rest of the residents of that fine state, they have yet to locate one solitary Mud Runt.
Mud Runts are as important to Maine life as Punxatawny Phil is to Pennsylvania and the rest of America to know when spring is coming. While Ron and Gary are Maine’s leading experts on Mud Runts (arguable), knowing perhaps the very few locations of Mud Runt habitat, it appears that the snow is so deep and hard that even the Mud Runt, with the “alligator-type” teeth, has yet to be able to gnaw its way through the ice and snow.
What this actually means for the residents of Maine is unclear. This is the first time in Ron and Gary’s life they have experienced this kind of natural phenomenon and they appear deeply concerned. There are unconfirmed rumors that back in 1906 the Mud Runts never appeared before July 1 and perhaps not coincidentally all male fishermen grew long beards overnight, had a strong craving for earthworms and couldn’t stop of nervous twitch closely mimicking a cast and retrieve motion.
Stay tuned for continuous updates and we will bring you news of the first sighting of the Albany Mud Runt. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the rare photograph taken last spring. Ron reports that when this picture was taken, it was the absolute first time the Mud Runt came out of winter hiding.
Tom Remington
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Looks suprisingly like a Florida alligator…You don’t suppose somehow one or two got attached to your luggage and sneaked down here to pollute our alligator genes with that Maine ancestory? Or did you bring one down for experimentation?
These particular species of Mud Runts don’t survive well in Florida’s heat and humidity. Note in the photograph the bluish-white substance near the top. That’s ice, something Floridians find only in their frozen margaritas, daiquiris, etc.
No these are truly a Maine-only species that some have in the past confused with the Florida gator.
While I personally have not actually seen a live Mud Runt, I am told that pound for pound this creature is one of the meanest animals around. Especially once coming out of hibernation.
With the extended and severe winters, I can only imagine how cranky these guys will be.