Eurycea troglodytes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Valdina Farms Salamander
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Caudata
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Eurycea
Species: E. troglodytes
Binomial name
Eurycea troglodytes
Baker, 1957

The Valdina Farms Salamander (Eurycea troglodytes) is a species of aquatic salamander described from Valdina Farms Sinkhole in Medina County, Texas, USA. It is sometimes referred to as the Valdina Blind Salamander or Sinkhole Salamander. Like some other species of Eurycea found in Texas, it was once classified as a subspecies of the Texas Salamander, Eurycea neotenes, and believed to possibly be the result of hybridization with other species of subterranean salmander, but was granted full species status in 2000. Research is ongoing, and some sources suggest that the current species may actually be multiple distinct species.

[edit] Description

The Valdina Farms Salamander grows from 2 to 3 inches in length, with short legs, reduced eyes under a layer of skin, and external gills. They are grey or cream colored, and translucent, sometimes with pale yellow striping or white speckling. Few specimens are known, so the variability of their color and pattern is unknown.

[edit] Behavior

It is entirely aquatic, and mostly subterranean, found in springs deep in limestone crevices, which makes definitively establishing its complete geographic range or its population numbers very difficult.

[edit] References

 This lungless salamander article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.