Eurycea neotenes

Eurycea neotenes, also known as the Texas salamander, Bexar County salamander, Edwards Plateau salamander, or Texas neotenic salamander,^[3] is a species of entirely aquatic, lungless salamander native to the United States. It is endemic to central Texas, near Helotes, in Bexar County.

Texas salamander
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Eurycea
Species:	E. neotenes
Binomial name
Eurycea neotenes Bishop & Wright, 1937

Description

The Texas salamander grows from 2 to 4 in (5.1 to 10.2 cm) in length. It is brown in color, often with yellow or brown mottling, with light-yellow spotting down its back. It is neotenic, with a slender body, short limbs, and bright-red external gills. The Texas salamander lives in caves, which resulted in reduced vision in its eyes, due to the long period of time in darkness. It is akin to the Texas blind salamander Eurycea rathbuni.^[4]

Diet

The Texas salamander has reduced vision or can be completely blind, which makes it difficult to hunt for food. It hunts by swishing its head side to side to create water pressure waves and sensing their prey break the still water. The Texas salamander typically preys on amphipods, blind shrimp (Palaemonetes antrorum), daphnia, small snails and other invertebrates. ^[5]