BiologyCoachOnlineBlog

Today we shine our spotlight on the rare Texas Blind Salamander.

The Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) is a rare cave-dwelling amphipod native to San Marcos, Hays County, Texas (specifically the San Marcos Pool of the Edwards Aquifer). The adult forms retain their external gills as they spend their entire lives in water. As its common name implies, the Texas blind salamander cannot see (although juveniles do have "eye" spots). Rather they use smell and possibly vibration to sample their environment for food and mates. Their diet varies according to what flows into their cave but can include eat blind shrimp and other small crustaceans, snails, and other amphipods. Due to their scarcity and unusual habitat, little is known of their habits. Nevertheless, females can lay more than 35 eggs at a time and these salamanders are reproductive year-round as their sub-terrainian habitat maintains a constant temperature of about 22°Celsius (72°F). Eggs may take several weeks to hatch. The Texas blind salamander was listed as endangered in 1967 and remains so today (2016).