Amphibians
Salado Salamander
Eurycea chisholmensis · also called Salado salamanders
Around a small spring feeding Salado Creek, a Salado salamander drifts through water that has flowed from the same underground source for generations, a population so narrowly confined that a single severe drought season could put the species’ entire future at risk.
Overview
The Salado salamander, Eurycea chisholmensis, is a fully aquatic salamander found only within springs feeding Salado Creek near Salado, Texas. Its extraordinarily narrow range and dependence on consistent groundwater flow make it one of several precariously positioned spring-dwelling amphibians in the Edwards Aquifer region of central Texas.
A species riding on one creek’s water supply
With its entire population confined to a small cluster of springs, the Salado salamander has no fallback if its local water source falters, a vulnerability shared by several of its equally narrow-ranged relatives across the same aquifer system.
Status
Vulnerable, federally threatened — confined to a small cluster of springs near Salado, Texas, highly vulnerable to drought and reduced groundwater flow.
Salado Salamander: common questions
Why is the Salado salamander so vulnerable to drought?
A Salado salamander depends entirely on consistent spring flow from local groundwater to survive, and because the species is confined to just a small cluster of springs near Salado, Texas, a prolonged drought that reduces or interrupts that flow could threaten the entire global population of the species at once.
Is the Salado salamander related to other Texas spring salamanders?
Yes, the Salado salamander belongs to a group of closely related Eurycea salamanders found across central Texas, including the Georgetown salamander and the Barton Springs salamander, each confined to its own narrow set of springs fed by the same regional Edwards Aquifer system.
Does the Salado salamander ever leave the water?
No, a Salado salamander retains its gills and remains fully aquatic throughout its entire life, never undergoing metamorphosis into a land-dwelling adult, a lifestyle it shares with its closely related spring-dwelling neighbours.
Where does the Salado salamander live?
The Salado salamander is found only within springs feeding Salado Creek near Salado, Texas, part of the Edwards Aquifer system, making it endemic to this single, narrow area.