Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Grotto salamander

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Order
  
Caudata

Genus
  
Eurycea

Higher classification
  
Brook salamander

Phylum
  
Chordata

Family
  
Plethodontidae

Scientific name
  
Eurycea spelaea

Rank
  
Species

Grotto salamander httpsfarm8staticflickrcom70236705742219f8

Similar
  
Salamander, Brook salamander, Amphibians, Spotted‑tail salamander, Oklahoma salamander

The grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea) — also called the Ozark blind salamander — is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is now considered a member of the genus Eurycea, but was originally described as Typhlotriton speleus. It is endemic to the United States, specifically the karst regions beneath the Springfield and Salem Plateaus of the Ozark Mountains part of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Its natural habitats are freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. It is not currently threatened, but vulnerable to changes in groundwater quality and reduction in bat population.

Contents

Grotto salamander Herps of Arkansas Grotto Salamander Eurycea spelaea

The grotto salamander was discovered in 1891 on the Ozark Plateau, and described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1892. This plateau remains the only area in which grotto salamanders have been found.

Grotto salamander Grotto Salamander MDC Discover Nature

Description

Grotto salamander Herps of Arkansas Grotto Salamander Eurycea spelaea

The larvae of this salamander are bold in coloration: brownish or purplish gray, sometimes with yellow flecks on the sides. Adults can grow up to 13.5 cm and larvae tend to be between 10 and 30mm. They have a distinctive high tail fin and external gills. The larvae have functional eyes and may live outside of caves in brooks or streams. After two or three years, the larvae metamorphose, at which point they lose their gills, their eyelids fuse shut or at least partially shut, and the now blind adult form spends the rest of its life in a cave. The grotto salamander is the only cave salamander which undergoes metamorphosis. The adult form is pinkish white, sometimes with traces of orange on its tail, feet, and sides, and has 16–19 costal grooves.

Distribution and habitat

Grotto salamander Grotto salamander

The grotto salamander is found in caves and caverns throughout the Ozarks. They are known from at least 120 individual sites in Arkansas, 43 in Oklahoma and 25 in Missouri. As larvae the grotto salamander lives in springs and streams near cave entrances. As adults, They migrate deep into the caves themselves and live out their lives underground. They prefer waters between 5.5 and 16.5 °C, and feed on small, cave-dwelling invertebrates such as Gammarus, though they are also known to eat guano as well.

Grotto salamander The World39s Best Photos of salamandereuryceaspelaea Flickr Hive Mind

Grotto salamander CalPhotos Eurycea spelaea Grotto Salamander

Grotto salamander

References

Grotto salamander Wikipedia