Species

Northern dwarf siren

Pseudobranchus striatus

A tiny, striped siren of southeast Georgia's weedy ponds and bogs.

Photo woodrotdroptop (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: Usually 10 to 20 cm long
Habitat: Shallow, weedy ponds, bogs and cypress swamps
Diet: Tiny aquatic invertebrates
In Georgia: Southeast Georgia
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Very slender; dark brown with light stripes along the sides; feathery gills; front legs with three toes
Told apart from: Lesser siren, which is larger and plainer, with four toes
Where to look: In dense water plants; rarely seen

Behaviour

It lives among dense vegetation and can survive drought in the mud.

Why they matter

It is part of the rich community of southern ponds and bogs.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Eggs — Laid singly on plants
Hatching — In a few weeks
Larvae — Small and striped
Maturity — Within a couple of years
Lifespan — A few years
Habits — Aquatic

Living around people

It is harmless and seldom seen.

Misconceptions

It is a worm or a small eel. It is a salamander.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Active	Breeding	Active	Active	Active	Active	In mud in dry weather	In mud in dry weather	Active	Active	Active	Active

Where it lives

Recorded in 2 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

United States

If you found one

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