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 (prior combination, CoL)
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 140 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Artesian well near San Marcos, Hays Co., TX
Range
Known from seven counties in Texas in the Edwards Plateau and Balcones karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Texas
Counties
- Texas
- Bexar, Comal, Comal Co, HAYS, Hays Co, Kendall, Liberty
Karst regions
Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Genetics
Molecular resources
| Marker | Molecule | Sequences | Length | Exemplar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| 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)
Assessed in 2021.
NatureServe
G1 Critically Imperiled
Global rank last reviewed 17 June 2019.
Subnational ranks
- Texas
- S1 Critically Imperiled
Ranks looked up 23 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, listed in 1967.
Federal: Endangered
Threats
- Urbanization - Residential
- Urbanization - Comm. & Industrial
- Dams & Water Extraction
- Pollution - Commercial/Industrial
Other resources
References
- Eigenmann, C.H. 1897. The Amblyopsidae, the blind fish of America. Report of the British Association for the Advacement of Science 1897: 685–686. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30118215. details
- Hershler, R. & Longley, G. 1986. Phreatic hydrobiids (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) from the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer region, south-central Texas. Malacologia 27: 127–172. https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/11313/iz_HershlerLongley1986a.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. details
- Hubricht, L. 1940. A subterranean snail from an artesian well. Nautilis 54: 34–35. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8519181. details
- Nicholas, G. 1960. Checklist of macroscopic troglobitic organisms of the United States. The American Midland Naturalist 64: 123–160. doi:10.2307/2422897
This account was last revised 28 August 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 23 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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