Amphibians
Texas Salamander
Eurycea neotenes · also called Texas salamanders
At the mouth of a spring feeding into a Texas Hill Country stream, a pale, gilled salamander drifts through the clear water, permanently retaining the feathery gills most other salamanders lose on the way to adulthood.
Overview
The Texas salamander, Eurycea neotenes, is a permanently aquatic, gilled salamander native to spring-fed streams and cave entrances within a limited area of the Texas Hill Country. Its lifelong retention of external gills, close relationship to several other narrowly distributed Edwards Aquifer salamanders, and dependence on clean, stable groundwater make it one of the more ecologically telling species of central Texas.
A life spent entirely in the water it was born into
The Texas salamander never leaves the spring-fed water it hatches into, carrying the same feathery gills from birth through its entire adult life, a permanent commitment to an aquatic existence shared by several of its equally spring-bound relatives.
Status
Near Threatened — confined to a limited number of Texas Hill Country spring systems, vulnerable to groundwater pollution and depletion.
Texas Salamander: common questions
Does the Texas salamander ever leave the water?
No, this species is neotenic, meaning it keeps its feathery external gills and fully aquatic lifestyle throughout its entire life, never undergoing the transformation into a land-dwelling adult that many other salamander species complete.
How is the Texas salamander related to other Edwards Aquifer salamanders?
It belongs to the same broader Eurycea group as several other highly localized central Texas spring and cave salamanders, including the Georgetown and Salado salamanders, each confined to its own small stretch of the same underlying Edwards Aquifer groundwater system.
Why is the Texas salamander considered at risk?
This species depends entirely on spring-fed water from the Edwards Aquifer within a limited area of the Texas Hill Country, making it vulnerable to groundwater pollution, contamination, and depletion tied to regional development and water use, pressures that could eliminate its narrow habitat entirely.
Where does the Texas salamander live?
The Texas salamander is native exclusively to spring-fed streams and cave entrances within a limited area of the Texas Hill Country, relying entirely on the groundwater feeding those specific springs for its survival.