Eurycea latitans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cascade Caverns Salamander | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Eurycea latitans Smith & Potter, 1946 |
The Cascade Caverns Salamander or Cascade Caverns Neotenic Salamander (Eurycea latitans) is a species of aquatic salamander endemic to Cascade Caverns in Kendall County, Texas, USA. Like other species of cave salamander, they are almost entirely subterranean, living in spring waters deep in limestone rock strata, so gauging the exact extent of their geographic range or even their population numbers is virtually impossible. This also leads to reduced sampling for study, which has led to some uncertainty in the taxonomic classification, some sources considering all species of Texas cave salamanders to be subspecies of the Texas Salamander, Eurycea neotenes.
[edit] Description
The Cascade Caverns Salamander is almost translucent, with a faint net-shaped pattern that is brown in color and often white speckling. The species is rarely seen, so the amount of variation in their coloration is unknown. They are neotenic, meaning they retain characteristics, into adulthood, that are usually associated with juvenile salamanders, such as external gills. They have a stout body, with short legs, and reduced eyes set under a layer of skin.
[edit] References
- Chippindale, P.T., A.H. Price, Wiens, J.J. & Hillis, D.M. (2000): Phylogenetic relationships of central Texas hemidactyliine plethodontid salamanders, genus Eurycea, and a taxonomic revision of the group. Herpetological Monographs 14: 1-80.
- Hillis, D.M., Chamberlain, D.A., Wilcox, T.P., & Chippindale, P.T. (2001): A new species of subterranean blind salamander (Plethodontidae: Hemidactyliini: Eurycea: Typhlomolge) from Austin, Texas, and a systematic revision of central Texas paedomorphic salamanders. Herpetologica 57: 266-280.
- Herps of Texas: Eurycea latitans
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Eurycea latitans
 This lungless salamander article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
