The Natural History of the Greater Siren, Siren lacertina.

    This Greater Siren was found at the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel, SC.  Its scientific name is Siren lacertina.  I found the siren in one of the small minnow traps set up in the water.  It was very difficult to transfer from the trap to the net because it was very slimy and moving a lot in an attempt to escape.  After it was transferred into the net, the siren was placed in a tub of water and photographed.  After it was identified with the field guide, it was safely released back in the water where it was captured.

    Sirens have two forelimbs and no hindlimbs, they also have external gills.  They are aquatic and commonly live in areas with stagnant water(swamps, etc).  I would estimate that the siren I found was approx. 1 foot long.  I was unable to determine whether it was male or female.  It was a gray color with yellow dots.  It was an adult Greater Siren because it did not have stripes which are seen in juvenilles.  The Greater Siren is predominantly found in the Southeast US. 

      
I really enjoyed searching for and identifying different amphibians and reptiles on this field trip.  I did not realize how much diversity there was in local amphibians before taking this class.  I was very excited to see a siren in person for the first time and I hope to see another one at some point.  I also learned on this trip that minnow traps can be used to catch amphibians and thought that was an interesting and useful field technique.