Common Name: Reticulated Siren, Leopard Siren
Scientific Name: Siren reticulata
Family: Sirenidae – Siren family
Location: United States – Florida and Alabama
Size: 10.4 – 24 inches (26.5 – 60.96 cm)
The Reticulated Siren is a new species of amphibian! It was only recently described by researchers David Steen, Sean P Graham, Richard Kline, and Crystal Kelehear in 2018. They are a highly aquatic species of amphibian, living at the bottom of ponds and swamps. Its currently found in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Since the species is relatively new to science, not much is known about it. Like all Sirens, the Reticulated Siren lacks hind legs and has gills. They have a long eel like body. They differ from other sirens with their leopard like spots covering their body.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Reticulated Siren as Vulnerable to Extinction. The salamander is known from only a few areas in the Florida panhandle and into Alabama. These areas are also under pressure to be developed into urban areas.
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