SREL Reprint #3137

Siren intermedia (Lesser Siren). Drought Survival

Thomas M. Luhring1 and Brian D. Todd2

1Biological Sciences, 105 Tucker Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 100 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.

Abstract: Adult sirens are able to survive prolonged exposure to drought conditions with larger animals being more successful at surviving laboratory-induced aestivation than smaller conspecifics (Gehlbach et al. 1973. Am. Midl. Nat. 89:455-463; Ethridge 1990. Herpetologica 46:407-414). Larger Greater Sirens (Siren lacertina) can possibly survive droughts for 2-3 years and very small sirens (~1g) are likely able to survive droughts of 146 days (Etheridge 1990, op. cit.). Despite the numerous reports of aestivating sirenids in the literature, it remains unknown whether small, young of the year sirens can survive short drought conditions under field conditions. . . .

SREL Reprint #3137

Luhring, T. M. and B. D. Todd. 2010. Siren intermedia (Lesser Siren). Drought Survival. Herpetological Review 41(1): 60.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).