Greater Siren
Encyclopedia
The greater siren is an eel
-like amphibian. The largest of the Sirens
, they can grow from 48 centimetres (18.9 in) to 97 centimetres (38.2 in) in length. They range in color from black to brown, and have a lighter gray or yellow underbelly.
Younger sirens also have a light stripe along their side, which fades with age. They have large gill
s and no hind legs. The front legs, each with four toes, are so small that they can be hidden in the gills. S. lacertina are generally carnivorous and eats annelid
s, insect
s, snail
s, and small fish
es, although they have also been observed to eat vegetation. They use a lateral line
sense organ for finding prey. There is some debate over whether it is a true salamander
.
They live from Washington, D.C.
, to Florida
. Females lay eggs between February and March, as many as to 500. The eggs hatch two months later. The method of egg fertilization is currently unknown. They are nocturnal and adults spend the day under debris and rocks or burrowed in mud or thick vegetation. Young are often seen amid water hyacinth
roots. Adults are sometimes caught at night by fishermen. When drought strikes, the sirens can aestivate in mud burrows and their bodies secrete a moisture-sealing cocoon over the body. Captive longevity can last up to 25 years.
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
-like amphibian. The largest of the Sirens
Siren (amphibian)
Sirenidae, the sirens, is a family of aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small forelimbs, and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their forelimbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the...
, they can grow from 48 centimetres (18.9 in) to 97 centimetres (38.2 in) in length. They range in color from black to brown, and have a lighter gray or yellow underbelly.
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s and no hind legs. The front legs, each with four toes, are so small that they can be hidden in the gills. S. lacertina are generally carnivorous and eats annelid
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
s, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s, and small fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
es, although they have also been observed to eat vegetation. They use a lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
sense organ for finding prey. There is some debate over whether it is a true salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
.
They live from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Females lay eggs between February and March, as many as to 500. The eggs hatch two months later. The method of egg fertilization is currently unknown. They are nocturnal and adults spend the day under debris and rocks or burrowed in mud or thick vegetation. Young are often seen amid water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
roots. Adults are sometimes caught at night by fishermen. When drought strikes, the sirens can aestivate in mud burrows and their bodies secrete a moisture-sealing cocoon over the body. Captive longevity can last up to 25 years.