The seepage siren (''Siren sphagnicola'') is a species of aquatic salamander in the family

Sirenidae Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs, and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other ...

. It was described as a new species in 2023 by Fedler et al. The species is notable for being the smallest described siren species and is distinguished by several unique morphological features. The discovery of ''Siren sphagnicola'' highlights the ongoing description of new species in the

Gulf Coastal Plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over m ...

, a global biodiversity hotspot. This discovery, along with others like the reticulated or leopard siren (''Siren reticulata'') described in 2018, underscores the importance of habitat protection and the need for further research to understand these species' roles in their ecosystems.

Natural history and distribution

''Siren sphagnicola'' is found in robust and widely distributed populations in suitable microhabitats in the Blackwater and Yellow river drainages and the western two-thirds of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q118142977 Sirenidae Amphibians described in 2023 Amphibians of North America