San Marcos salamander

San Marcos salamander

Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Eurycea
Species:	E. nana
Binomial name
*Eurycea nana* Bishop, 1941

The San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana) is a small species of aquatic, lungless salamander native to the United States, endemic to Spring Lake and a small region of the headwaters of the San Marcos River near Aquarena Springs, in Hays County, Texas. It is one to two inches long, with a slender body and external gills, and is a reddish-brown in color.

Downstream from the headwaters of the San Marcos Springs, Aquarena Springs, and Spring Lake

Conservation status

The San Marcos salamander has been federally listed as a threatened species since 1980. Due to its extremely limited geographic range, it is threatened by a number of things, but primarily from the contamination of ground water sources and heavy dependence of Central Texas cities upon the Edwards Aquifer for water.

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.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: San Marcos salamander

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