Western grotto salamander

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Western grotto salamander
Eurycea spelaea (10.3897-subtbiol.24.15013) Figure 1.jpg

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Eurycea
Species:
E. spelaea
Binomial name
Eurycea spelaea
(Stejneger, 1892)
Synonyms
  • Typhlotriton spelaeus Stejneger, 1892
  • Eurycea spelaeus Stejneger, 1892

The western grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea), also called the Ozark blind salamander and previously known as just the grotto salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.[1] 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.[1]

Taxonomy[]

The grotto salamander was discovered in 1891 on the Ozark Plateau, and described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1892. It is now considered a member of the genus Eurycea, but was originally described as Typhlotriton speleus.[1][2]

Previously, it was thought to have occurred throughout the Ozark Plateau, but during the mid-20th century, two other species were described from populations formerly assigned to E. spelaea: the northern grotto salamander (E. nerea) of the and adjacent , and the southern grotto salamander (E. braggi) of the . These species were later lumped in with E. spelaea. However, a 2017 study found all three to be phylogenetically distinct from one another and have deep divergence times dating back to the Late Miocene; E. spelaea is thought to be the sister species to the clade comprising E. nerea and E. braggi. All three grotto salamanders are thought to descend from a ancestral surface-dwelling form.[3][4]

Distribution and habitat[]

This species inhabits the karst regions beneath the of the Ozark Mountains of extreme northwestern Arkansas, extreme southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma.[3][4]

As larvae the western grotto salamander lives in springs and streams near cave entrances.[1] As adults, They migrate deep into the caves themselves and live out their lives underground.[1] 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.[2][5]

Description[]

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.[5] 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. Alongside E. nerea and E. braggi, the western 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.[6][7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). "Eurycea spelaea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T22707A9379701. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T22707A9379701.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Graening, G. Fenolio, D. Slay, M. (2011). Cave Life of Oklahoma and Arkansas. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. p. 7 ISBN 0806142235.
  3. ^ a b Phillips, John G.; Fenolio, Danté B.; Emel, Sarah L.; Bonett, Ronald M. (2017). "Hydrologic and geologic history of the Ozark Plateau drive phylogenomic patterns in a cave-obligate salamander". Journal of Biogeography. 44 (11): 2463–2474. doi:10.1111/jbi.13047. ISSN 1365-2699.
  4. ^ a b "Eurycea spelaea (Stejneger, 1892) | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  5. ^ a b Trauth, S. Robinson, H. Plummer, M. (2004) The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas press. pp. 104–05 ISBN 1557287384.
  6. ^ Conant, Roger, and Joseph T. Collins (1998) Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern/Central North America. 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, p. 498 ISBN 0395904528
  7. ^ Behler, John L., and F W. King (1979). National Audubon Society Filed Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, p. 356 ISBN 0394508246
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