| Cascade Caverns Salamander | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | Eurycea |
| Species: | E. latitans |
| 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, This salamander lives in caves and eats small bugs and other species of insects and spiders. Eurycea neotenes.
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. This species of salamanders is threatened and could become endangered.