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Cave Biology Data Portal
Subterranean biodiversity of North America and around the globe
AnimaliaChordataVertebrataAmphibiaCaudataPlethodontidaeEurycea

Texas Blind Salamander
Eurycea rathbuni (Stejneger, 1896)

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Amphibia
Order Caudata
Family Plethodontidae
Genus Eurycea
Species Eurycea rathbuni (Stejneger, 1896)

Synonyms

Typhlomolge rathbuni Stejneger, 1896

Description

Diagnostic characters

Ecological class
Stygobiont
Realm
Aquatic
Troglomorphy
Troglomorphic
Maximum body length
140 mm

Distribution

Type locality

Artesian well near San Marcos, Hays Co., TX

Range

Known from Texas in the Edwards Plateau and Balcones karst region.

Continent

North America

Country

United States

States and provinces

Texas

Counties

County-level records have not been compiled for this taxon. Distribution is recorded at state and karst-region level.

Karst regions

Edwards Plateau and Balcones

Genetics

Molecular resources

MarkerMoleculeSequences LengthExemplar
cytb mitochondrial 5 344-1100 bp AF252340.1
ND mitochondrial 2 619-633 bp KF562612.1
18S nuclear 1 214-214 bp PV083487.1
RAG1 nuclear 1 1090-1090 bp KF562663.1

9 sequences, retrieved 23 August 2026. Counts change as sequences are deposited. Search GenBank.

Download all 9 sequence records (CSV) Accession, marker, molecule type, length, GenBank definition and a direct link.

Specimens

Type material

Holotype
USNM 22686 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Syntype
1946.9.6.66 · Natural History Museum, London
Paratype
1641 · California Academy of Sciences
Paratype ×7
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Collections holding material

InstitutionLots
Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center, Texas State University 104
University of Texas at Arlington 83
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution 39
Texas Natural History Collection, University of Texas at Austin 36
American Museum of Natural History 32
Field Museum of Natural History 12
and 24 other collections 74

380 cataloged lots in 30 collections. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.

Download all 380 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.

Conservation and management

IUCN Red List

CR Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)

EXEWCR▲ENVUNTLC

Assessed in 2021.

NatureServe

G1 Critically Imperiled

G1▲G2G3G4G5

Global rank last reviewed 17 June 2019.

Subnational ranks

Texas
S1 Critically Imperiled

State and federal status

Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act listed 1967

Federal: Endangered

Threats

  • Urbanization - Residential
  • Urbanization - Comm. & Industrial
  • Dams & Water Extraction
  • Pollution - Commercial/Industrial

Other resources

Catalogue of Life
3D3HK
GBIF
5218363
ITIS
586343
iNaturalist
27130
NCBI Taxonomy
147900

How to cite this account

Eurycea rathbuni (Stejneger, 1896). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-1365. https://cavebiology.org/species/eurycea-rathbuni/ (accessed 3 September 2026).

Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction. Accounts are compiled from many sources and corrections from people who know the group are the most useful email we get.

Cave Biology Data Portal

Species accounts, distributions, and conservation status for the subterranean fauna of North America and around the globe, with resources for the cave and karst research community.

Text and data CC BY 4.0. Images all rights reserved unless stated.

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