Blanco blind salamander

The Blanco blind salamander (Eurycea robusta) is a species of aquatic, lungless salamander native to the United States. It is endemic to a small region of the Blanco River near San Marcos in Hays County, Texas. Its habitat, deep in limestone karst, makes collecting specimens for research particularly problematic. It is known from only a single specimen, collected in the 1950s.

Blanco blind salamander
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Eurycea
Species:
E. robusta
Binomial name
Eurycea robusta
(Longley, 1978)
Synonyms
  • Typhlomolge robusta Longley, 1978

The Blanco blind salamander is considered a lost species, as it is unknown whether it is still alive or not. Four specimens were discovered in 1951 by a gravel company digging in the dry bed of the Blanco River. Two were eaten by a heron, one was lost and the final specimen was sent to the University of Texas at Austin for research. Any extant members of the species are believed to live in the Edwards Aquifer. Researchers are using environmental DNA analysis to assess whether it still lives, but are hampered by the fact that no extant viable DNA samples exist. For that reason, they are using similar related species, such as the Texas blind salamander, as a proxy.[2]

References
  1. Geoffrey Hammerson; Paul Chippindale (2004). "Eurycea robusta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T39263A10173057. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T39263A10173057.en. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. Jones, Benji (1 August 2022). "Why scientists are desperate to find a salamander that's been missing for 71 years". Vox. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  • Chippindale, P.T., A.H. Price, Wiens, J.J. & Hillis, D.M. (2000): Phylogenetic relationships of central Texas hemidactyliine plethodontid salamanders, genus Eurycea, and a taxonomic revision of the group. Herpetological Monographs 14: 1-80.
  • Hillis, D.M., Chamberlain, D.A., Wilcox, T.P., & Chippindale, P.T. (2001): A new species of subterranean blind salamander (Plethodontidae: Hemidactyliini: Eurycea: Typhlomolge) from Austin, Texas, and a systematic revision of central Texas paedomorphic salamanders. Herpetologica 57: 266–280.
  • Amphibian Species of the World: Eurycea robusta
  • IUCN Red List: Eurycea robusta
  • Discover Life: Eurycea robusta


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