The Dwarf Sirens, a species of salamander, rarely reproduce in captivity.
But, these small creatures overcame the odds at the Detroit Zoo recently when four new eggs hatched at the zoo's National Amphibian Conservation Center.
Dr. Ruth Marcec, director of the conservation center said in a statement, "These animals are very difficult to breed in captivity – it typically takes changing the ion content of the water to mimic dilution from rainfall. Now that we’ve established that this is possible, we are very excited to increase the dwarf siren population at the Detroit Zoo.”
The dwarf siren is the smallest siren species in the southeastern United States. They are found in aquatic regions throughout South Carolina, Florida, and southern Georgia.
They typically grow between 4-6 inches, have faint stripes on their sides, and a triangular head.
