Lesser Siren

Siren intermedia

The Lesser Siren emits a clicking sound when excited, yelps when captured, and squirms vigorously when handled. The Lesser Siren is sometimes found in shallow, temporary ponds. When these ponds dry up, it burrows into the soft muddy bottom and can wait for several months for the pool to fill again. It eats aquatic invertebrates and plants.

Look For : A large to very large, gray-brown to blackish, eel-like salamander. Similar to the Greater Siren but has a pointed tail and may be dark-spotted above.

Length : 7-27".

Habitat : Muddy-bottomed ponds, streams, and ditches.

Range : From Mississippi south to Texas, east around Gulf States, and north to North Carolina.