Home | Livestock | Shop | Care Sheets | Feeding | Health | Articles | Q&A | Gallery | Events Diary | Guest Book | Links | Forum

Care Sheet: Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia)

Common Name: Lesser Siren.

Scientific Name: Siren intermedia.

Distribution: Lakes, ponds, & swamps of Southern & Central America.

Size: 40-69cm.

Life Expectancy: 5-10years.

Varieties: Dorsum may be dark brown – black or olive green with black spots.

Requirements: These aquatic Salamanders are rather large and require a large aquarium. A 22-gallon tank would be the minimum for 2 adults. They require a totally aquatic set-up of calm shallow water with a substrate of gravel or sand. Furnishings such as large pebbles, rocks, driftwood and aquatic plants can be arranged to provide a number of hiding places. The water should be clean de-chlorinated or spring water at a depth of 15cm (6"). The water will need to be filtered using an external power filter to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water, and partial water changes should be carried out at regular intervals. A water temperature of 10-20°C should be maintained, and bright lighting should be avoided.

Feeding: Juveniles should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized aquatic insects including mosquito larvae, tubifex, earthworm and whiteworm. Adults should be fed every other day with a mixture of earthworms, maggots, small fish, crustaceans, & aquatic snails.