siren
 

So at work we have a big retention pond - I've posted pix of me fishing in it before.

Anyway, between it and the parking lot is a ditch, which has drain pipes that lead to the pond.

When the pond gets really full, like it has been, and then we get a ton of rain, like we did for Irma, the ditch doesn't drain. Immediately we have gambusia, occasionally a small blue gill, etc. in the ditch, and they get stuck after the water level drops sufficiently.

Well, today I saw a siren. I've only seen one in the wild once before, but our teaching zoo had one for years. Called the zoo, sent them a video, yes, its a siren, lets go collect it and at least return it to the big pond. Meet the zoo folk, walk down the parking lot, student asks if we're "here for those snake things?". Plural.

So, yes, we rescued two of 'em today and re-released them. The zoo folk got better pix (haven't sent them to me yet) but here's the video I took of me pokin' one with a stick

http://itsjustcrap.com/siren.mov

Here's a nice pic of what they look like -

http://srelherp.uga.edu/salamanders/pics/sirlac210.jpg

It has legs?

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I think that is what we call a mud puppy. I remember seeing one when our local lake was drained . Weird creatures.

It's an amphibian.....very cool! Don't see those very often!

https://media1.britannica.com/eb-med...4-D456ADCB.jpg

Yup. And gills. But they are technically amphibians.