Identification
The Western Lesser Siren is a small, eel-like salamander with bushy reddish
gills. They can be distinguished from a mudpuppy by their lack of back legs.
The Western Lesser Siren has small front legs with four toes, and an elongated
body with a vertically flattened tail. Individuals vary in coloration from olive
to grey, and the top of their dorsal surface is generally spotted with dark
flecks. The belly is grayish, often with light spotting. Young Sirens are marked
with red, orange, or yellow on the head, a yellowish stripe down each side of
the body, and have a dorsal fin on the tail.
Distribution and Status
The Western Lesser Siren is found from east Texas and the lower regions of the
Mississippi Valley north through central Illinois, into Indiana. Disjunct populations
are also found in Indiana and Michigan. Within the Midwest, the Western Lesser
Siren is found in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
Ecology
Western Lesser Sirens are primarily aquatic and prefer warm, quiet, shallow
water with an abundance of aquatic vegetation and a soft, mucky bottom. They
can be found in ponds, ditches, sloughs, sluggish streams, or shallow lake inlets.
During the day the Western Lesser Siren will seek cover under logs or other
debris, in vegetation, and also in burrows. At night the species emerges to
forage on the wetland floor. Sirens can survive dry periods by burrowing into
crayfish holes. They can also secrete a cocoon to prevent desiccation. One interesting
feature of these salamanders is their ability to make yelping, squeaking, hissing
or whistling sounds.
Threats and Management Issues
Loss of wetlands is the major threat facing the Western Lesser Siren across the entirety of its range, and many local populations have become extirpated. Further alteration and isolation of wetlands will have serious detrimental consequences for Siren populations. This is largely due to the fact that they are extremely limited in their dispersal abilities which are usually only possible after heavy rains when temporary aquatic connections are established. Because of this fact many researchers believe that further isolation, and loss of wetlands will in all likelihood eliminate Siren populations from many temporary ponds across their range.
Resources
General reference guides
and websites.
Reference guides and websites specific to Amphibians.
Links to more information on the Western Lesser Siren outside the Herp Center
Illinois Natural History Survey
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499