Northern Dwarf Siren

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Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Subclass:	Lissamphibia
Order:	Caudata
Suborder:	Sirenoidea
Family:	Sirenidae
Genus:	Pseudobranchus
Species:	P. striatus

Binomial name

Pseudobranchus striatus
LeConte, 1824

The Northern Dwarf Siren, Pseudobranchus striatus is a perennibranch salamander lacking hind legs. Found in the south-eastern United States, it one of two currently recognized species of dwarf sirens. Three subspecies are currently recognized; P. s. striatus, the Broad-striped Dwarf Siren, P. s. lustricolus, the Gulf Hammock Dwarf Siren , and P. s. spheniscus, the Slender Dwarf Siren.

1 Desription
2 Breeding
3 Habitat & Range
4 Subspecies
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Desription

The Northern Dwarf Siren is the smallest siren known at only 4-9 7/8" (10.2-25.1 cm). Like other members of the Sirenidae the Northern Dwarf Siren is aquatic and gilled throughout its life. Being slender and almost eel-like it is instantaneously noticed because of the light stripes on its side compared to the brown or light grey top. The siren has only one gill slit, a finned tail (tip compressed), coastal grooves, and three toes on each foot. They are very secretive and dwell among water hyacinth roots and amid debris at pond bottoms. They feed on tiny invertebrates and during droughts encase themselves in mud beneath the pond bottom. When handled or caught they make faint yelping noises.

[edit] Breeding

Northern Dwarf Sirens breed in the spring and gather in large numbers at the pond or spring they were born in. Since the male and female sirens can not be determined visually this is quite a confusing event. The sirens fertilize externally and lay a large number of soft-shelled eggs. The eggs are laid singly on roots of aquatic plants and the larvae hatch about a month after they have been laid at about 5/8" (14 mm).

[edit] Habitat & Range

This particular siren tend to live in shallow ditches, cypress swamps, weed-choked ponds, and other damp places especially water hyacinth. They live on the coastal plain of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (except the western panhandle).

[edit] Subspecies

Broad-Striped Northern Dwarf Siren (P. s. striatus): short and stocky with a broad dark-brown stripe down back with thin light vertebral stripe flanked by broad yellow or buff stripe. Found from southern South Carolina to southeast Georgia.
Slender Northern Dwarf Siren (P. s. spheniscus): narrow head, wedge-shaped snout, and two distinct tan or yellow stripes on both sides. Found from southwest Georgia to adjacent Florida panhandle.
Gulf Hammock Northern Dwarf Siren (P. s. lustricolus): large and stout with a flattened head and blunt snout. Three narrow light stripes within within wide dark stripe down back. Two side stripes (top one orange-brown, bottom silvery-white).