Sirenidae

Not to be confused with Sirenia.

Sirenidae
Temporal range:
Late Cretaceous - Present, 95–0 Ma
Siren intermedia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Sirenidae
Gray, 1825
Genera

  †Habrosaurus
  Pseudobranchus
  Siren

Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs and lack hind limbs altogether.[1] In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states. Sirens are found only in the Southeastern United States and northern Mexico.[1]

Although they are primarily carnivorous, they are the only salamanders observed eating plant material.[2]

  1. ^ a b Lanza, B., Vanni, S., & Nistri, A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 69–70. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Hill, R. L., Mendelson, J. R. & Stabile, J. L. 2015. Direct observation and review of herbivory in Sirenidae (Amphibia: Caudata). Southeastern Naturalist 14, N5-N9.