Video: Lesser Siren

[John Clare]

This is a video I compiled from footage I filmed in late 2008. At the time I didn't know about making videos with such wonderful things as depth of field and exposure lock so this isn't as great as it could have been. By the way, it's available in HD if you go to youtube (double click on the video image below and this will open it in youtube in another tab/window, and that has a HD button).

[Ryan]

Great video John. First video I've seen of nettingi I think.
What size is the tank and the siren?
Thanks for posting this.

[silox]

Great video and an awesome Siren
maybe you can post some pics of the tank
i'm looking forward to more pics and video's

[Danny Stammers]

Great video!

That guy/gal moves more in 1 minute, then most salamanders in 1 hour :)

[John Clare]

The tank is a Marinaland Eclipse 6. This was quite a young Siren that I kept for less than 2 months before returning it to its pond of origin (3 hour drive each way on New Year's Day this year). He was amazingly active (the tank keeps itself quite warm though and I wouldn't recommend it for newts/salamanders - it would overheat most species and it doesn't have a heater....).

[Sharon]

thanks for sharing!! I doubt I'll ever get to see one in RL so watching that video was amazing - and its a lovely tank!

[Jennewt]

That was fun, especially the bloodworm slurp. What kind of sand is that?

[John Clare]

Some sand they sell in the local store here for aquariums (in bags). I don't know the name to be honest. I wouldn't recommend it. It floats way too easily.

[Sharon]

it looks like the sand sample I got from.. http://www.aquariumsands.com/White_A...d_p/2000s9.htm

I haven't opened the sample package yet - but its largish like what you see in johns video - i just know that when I open the sample it'll go every where.

Jenn do you want my samples? I can pass them on to you?

[John Clare]

My sand is not largish. That's the resolution of the video. (Edit: Maybe my sense of size is wrong)

Originally Posted by ferret_corner

it looks like the sand sample I got from.. http://www.aquariumsands.com/White_A...d_p/2000s9.htm

I haven't opened the sample package yet - but its largish like what you see in johns video - i just know that when I open the sample it'll go every where.

Jenn do you want my samples? I can pass them on to you?

[ItalianSausage]

Ok maybe this is a silly question. i have always loved sirens, but what exactly is a siren? also what are the chances of getting one in California and would it be ok to keep in a tank with fish? Always been fascinated by them just never researched them.

[John Clare]

Originally Posted by MikeM

Ok maybe this is a silly question. i have always loved sirens, but what exactly is a siren?

Not to sound smart-assed, but it's a salamander. You can read more about them here and here. There are a few different species.

Originally Posted by MikeM

also what are the chances of getting one in California and would it be ok to keep in a tank with fish? Always been fascinated by them just never researched them.

You could mail order one although I don't endorse buying wild caught animals since it encourages the collection industry (I collected my own, and released him to his original habitat 2 months later since he never got tame). Don't keep salamanders with anything else please - people keep asking and the answer is the same - just don't do it. Sirens will kill smaller fish and larger fish could kill Sirens or do them serious damage.

[ItalianSausage]

Well i knew it was a salamander, but it only has two very small legs in the front correct? I probably wont be getting one for many reasons, mostly to not encourage the catching and selling of wild animals, so ill probably just settled for a striped peacock eel in my fish tank.

[John Clare]

Originally Posted by MikeM

Well i knew it was a salamander, but it only has two very small legs in the front correct?

Exactly. It swims like an eel and walks like an axolotl.

[Ryan]

Regarding "what is a siren," I find it interesting that some scientists used to (maybe some still do) think that Siren's aren't even salamanders. Rather, they belonged to their own order:
Meantes or Trachystomata.

This is a highly invalid point BUT it just goes to show how strange they truly are. I wasn't sure how many people knew this so I was throwing it out there.

[ItalianSausage]

ya i remember seeing something on Discovery about how they were trying to classify it because of how strange of a creature it is.