Ecology and Natural History Observations of the Salamander, Siren intermedia nettingi (Western Lesser Siren), in Northern Indiana

摘要

The Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia) is an unusual two-legged salamander with external gills retained into adulthood. They inhabit shallow semi-permanent and permanent wetlands, sloughs and ponds that have abundant aquatic vegetation and deep mucky to sandy sediment that provides burrowing sites (Petranka 1998; Smith and Minton 1957). Lesser Sirens are able to survive droughts by using crayfish burrows or burrowing into mud to depths from 8 cm to 1 m where they aestivate until the pool refills (Blatchley 1900; Cagle 1942; Harding 1997).