Sirenidae

Small Armmolch ( Siren intermedia)

The Sirens ( Sirenidae ) are a primitive family of salamanders within the class of amphibians as dauer larvae (compare: neoteny ) occur in waters of the southeastern United States to north- east of Mexico. Your name they bear because they have front limbs, but no hind legs. The taxon is already in use fossil for the period 130 million years ago.

Features

Sirens have a aalförmig stretched, inconspicuous colored, slimy - smooth body with a short tail and reduced bone structure. So missing the hind limbs and the pelvic bones. Of the maxillary bone, the maxilla is reduced and missing, as are the Septomaxillare. Teeth on the premaxillary bone ( premaxilla ) are missing and are replaced by a horny sheath. For a large dental field takes place on the palatine bone ( vomer ). Three pairs of external gills are in adult animals available as well as lungs.

In the genus Siren, whose representatives have four fingers on each hand, a larval skin is present in youth. Later, the shell converts to the more robust skin of adult newts. In the three -fingered Zwergarmmolchen this physiological transformation is absent; therefore, they are not to leave the body of water capable.

The outer gill tufts remain life-long condition, but is also incorporated breathing with lungs and emerging atmospheric air regularly.

Taxonomy

• Genus Pseudobranchus Gray, 1825 - Zwergarmmolche Type Pseudobranchus axanthus Netting & Goin, 1942 - Striped Zwergarmmolch

• Art Siren intermedia Barnes, 1826 - Small Armmolch
• Art Siren lacertina Oesterdam, 1766 - Big Armmolch

Of life, occurrence

The Great Armmolch ( Siren lacertina ), which can be almost a meter long, lives in the coastal plains from Virginia to Florida and southern Alabama. It prefers muddy fresh water with lots of vegetation. The species has a flattened tail and holds during the day under rocks or in burrows into the mud. At night, the animals in search of food. You can also occasionally crawl on land. In dry periods they hold a summer rest. To this end, the Armmolch spins into a dry curing mucus cocoon, which consists of the separation of his skin glands. The Little Armmolch ( Siren intermedia) is a maximum of 60 inches long and is spread from South Carolina to Florida.

The Zwergarmmolch ( Pseudobranchus striatus) is 10 to 25 inches long. He lives in the coastal plains of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The species prefers ponds, marshes and ditches where they are in the dense aquatic vegetation, mainly of water hyacinths, stop it. Since Zwergarmmolche not convert their larval skin, they can not survive terrestrial.

All species eat worms and insects aquatile larvae, crustaceans and snails.