Lesser sirens

[TJ]

Who else here is keeping these amazing creatures?

This is the same one I posted some photos of way back in March 2003:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/3089.jpg

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/3090.jpg

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/3506.jpg

I haven't measured it but it's since become much larger in size, necessitating a recent move to a larger tank. I guess it's about time I get around to sexing it and finding it a potential mate. Anybody know how to sex sirens?

 

[edward]

Hi Tim,
I still have one at work (and we used to have one that was over 14 years old when it finally passed away).
Males can develop larger jaw muscles showing a definite different head structure.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Siren/S_intermedia.shtml

Ed

 

[dot]

Beautiful girl you've got there, Tim! I love sirens.

I had 2.1 S.i.nettingi, but the males got in a fight while I was away and died. My female, Sakura, is doing very well now after regrowing her hands when she lost them to a rowdy male. She's also very sweet and loves to be handfed. (As a side note, my mother has since adopted her as a second daughter and tells me all the time that Sakura is "the Good One.")

I'm not sure where I read it, but I think that when it comes to mating, sirens can be location specific - they won't breed with others that aren't from the same area, but I'm not sure how much weight is held with that.

 

[erik]

I keep them also. Shockingly aggressive animals. I had to separate 5 specimens into 3 different tanks.

 

[sean]

Well I would love to keep one of these but it is starting to seem impossible to find one.I have been looking for three months with no luck.I am getting tired of having a tank with nothing in it. Maybe another member will need some space or get tired of one and I can purchase from them.

 

[jacob]

I got three S. intermedia about a week ago. I am going to set a flower pot upside down in the tank so the siren I keep in that one has a lookout above the tank floor.