Sirens are probably the most ancient line of salamanders now alive on planet Earth. They are large eel like creatures that can reach 40 centimetres in length and are 2.5 centimetres in diameter. They have a pair of small front legs that they use to pull themselves along through the muddy murky world of the swamps that they live in. They have no hind legs.
Sirens are special, because they can breathe through their lungs and skin, and also through feathery gills. Unlike other salamanders, each of their four toes ends in a claw or toenail. They also have small horny beaks in their mouths instead of teeth – and their teeth are located in their throats! They don’t bite, and aren’t poisonous – and are very, very shy indeed!
