Heron with Greater Siren #1
Uploaded: March 16, 2009
I was walking near the water when I looked over and saw this big heron reach down and come up with this Greater Siren. Taken at Seminole Park. Going to put a series on of it. Took him some time to get it down but he did. To read more about the siren see the response page.
Kay E. Mahoney March 16, 2009
Some information about the greater siren. The sirens are generally regarded as the most primitive living salamanders. The ecology and natural history of sirens is poorly known. All sirens share a conspicuous basic characteristic: the absence of rear limbs. Another notable characteristic is the presence of external gills throughout life. Sirens are completely aquatic, rarely emerging from water unless absolutely necessary. The absence of hindlimbs and the relatively weak forelimbs make overland travel virtually impossible. But if, for instance, a body of water dries up, sirens are forced to deal with a terrestrial existence. Their solution? Wait for a better day. Sirens can secrete a cocoon, of sorts, in which they can aestivate, for more than a year, until the pond refills with water.Reproduction usually occurs in the spring, and it is estimated that maturity is achieved in two to three years. Sirens are fairly nondescript, having a general drab appearance, olive to black in color with or without other markings. They have conspicuous external gills and four toes on each of the forelimbs. The designation "lesser" comes from the fact that most Siren intermedia are less than 2 feet long (total length), in contrast to the "greater" sirens, which are known to exceed 3 feet in length. For discriminating between the two species, authorities suggest counting costal grooves (external grooves along the sides of the animal in between forelimbs and the vent, which correspond roughly to the number of ribs. The greater siren usually has more than 36, whereas the lesser siren has less than 35 grooves. Sirens, like amphiumas, are effective predators of most aquatic animals.
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Jeff Robinson March 16, 2009
Excellent capture (both you and the GBH)!! Thanks for the additional info Kay! Jeff #7292594Tammy M. Anderson March 16, 2009
WOW!!! Kay what a fantastic image. Super clarity and timing. Very interesting info too. #7292686David Phalen March 16, 2009
Great find and capture!! Love the light, colors and details!! #7292697Jack Gaskin March 16, 2009
Nice CaptureHappy Shooting
Jack
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Tamara K. Walker March 16, 2009
A fantastic capture. #7292981Eva Pastor March 16, 2009
Terrific photo, Kay! And what an education you've offered to boot. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series. #7293063Ron McEwan March 16, 2009
Superb wild life capture Kay, excellent work here. #7293163Gina Cormier March 16, 2009
Fabulous wild life image!! #7293177Kay E. Mahoney March 16, 2009
Thank you everyoe for your comments. It was so neat seeing him eat this thing. #7293339Barbara Waldoch March 16, 2009
Wow, great catch, Kay and heron! #7293923Gord MacEachern March 17, 2009
Thanks for the description Kay.Patricia Seidler March 17, 2009
Wow, it looks like the Heron's eyes are bigger than its stomach! Timing is everything. Great capture Kay. #7296404Kay E. Mahoney March 18, 2009
Thank you Barbara, Gord and Patricia for your comments. #7299981Ellen Hodges March 19, 2009
You capture this heron with great clarity and detail with all that action going on, Kay! Fantastic!! #7303276Kay E. Mahoney March 19, 2009
Thank you Ellen for your comment. #7304702Tammy Espino March 21, 2009
I never knew that about sirens! Actually, I never knew they existed!! What an aswesome capture and series!!! Would love to see some of these guys! #7312263Laura E. Swan March 21, 2009
Facinating series and read, Kay! To further the interesting Story of the Sirens, did you know that Mermaids are supposed to be Sirens, too? Read the Starbucks story on Google sometime. That's where I first heard the word. Now you have made it a reality for me. I thought it was all fictitious! Neat!-Laura Swan #7312992
A P March 21, 2009
I don't think I've even seen or known about these things. Like an eel of some sort. That's for the wonderful series and info, Kay #7313078Kaye Burazin March 21, 2009
Very interesting Kay. Well taken and described. Love the series. #7313099Marta J. Baldwin March 22, 2009
Very nice capture and very cool desciption. Great shot Kay! I Hope all is well with you. Marta #7316341Kay E. Mahoney March 23, 2009
Thank you Marta. Hope things are going well for you also. #7317554Eivor Kuchta March 23, 2009
That's a big bite for the heron! Great timing, Kay! #7318154Sue Stendahl March 23, 2009
WOW, love your heron shots. I LOVE shooting birds like that and have gotten some cool shots but yours are outrageous. I've never seen/heard of a greater siren. Herons are SO cool to watch. I've taken pics of them on the Oregon coast. You did a fabulous job. #7320048Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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