Family: Sirenidae, Sirens view all from this family

Description 19 3/4"-38 1/2" (50-97.8 cm). Aquatic; stout, eel-like body; gray or olive above, sometimes with dark spots on head, back, and sides; sides lighter, with many faint greenish-yellow dashes and blotches. External gills, 3 gill slits; 4 front toes on limbs. Tail compressed, with fin; tail tip rounded. Costal grooves, 36-39.

Breeding Eggs laid February to March. Larvae hatch April to May, are 5/8" (16 mm) long.

Habitat Shallow, muddy-bottomed, weed-choked water.

Range Coastal plain from District of Columbia south through Florida, s. Alabama.

Discussion Nocturnal. Sirens spend the day under debris or rocks, burrowed in mud or thick vegetation. Young are often seen amid water-hyacinth roots. Adults are sometimes caught at night by bait fishermen. When drought dries up their habitat, sirens aestivate in mud burrows; their skin glands secrete a moisture-sealing cocoon over the body. They eat snails, insect larvae, small fish, and aquatic plants. Captive longevity about 25 years.