▁le op ard - like ▁sp ots ▁covering ▁its ▁back . ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁relatively ▁smaller ▁head ▁and ▁a ▁longer ▁tail . ▁Gen etic ▁analysis ▁from ▁mit och ond rial ▁and ▁nuclear ▁sequ encing ▁supported ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁species ▁from ▁Sir en ▁inter media ▁and ▁Sir en ▁la cert ina , ▁and ▁further ▁suggested ▁that ▁additional ▁species ▁are ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁discovered ▁in ▁this ▁group . ▁ ▁Al most ▁nothing ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁its ▁life ▁history ▁or ▁e col ogy . ▁Its ▁habitat ▁includes ▁wet lands ▁within ▁the ▁long leaf ▁p ine ▁e cos ystem . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁ret ic ulated ▁sir en ▁was ▁collected ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁in ▁Bald win ▁County , ▁Alabama , ▁described ▁by ▁her pet ologist ▁Robert ▁Hugh es ▁Mount ▁as ▁not ▁conform ing ▁to ▁the ▁typical ▁physical ▁description ▁of ▁Sir en ▁la cert ina . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁formally ▁named ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁and ▁was ▁treated ▁as ▁somewhat ▁of ▁a ▁legend , ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" le op ard ▁e el ". ▁Another ▁sight ing ▁of ▁numerous ▁individuals ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁her pet ologist ▁John ▁J ensen , ▁who ▁reported ly ▁sight ed ▁do z ens ▁of ▁ret ic ulated ▁sir ens ▁and ▁am ph ium as ▁moving ▁across ▁a ▁road ▁during ▁a ▁ra inst orm ▁near ▁Flor ala , ▁Alabama . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁American ▁her