Eurycea nana

Taxobox
name = San Marcos Salamander
status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Amphibia
ordo = Caudata
familia = Plethodontidae
genus = "Eurycea"
species = "E. nana"
binomial = "Eurycea nana"
binomial_authority = Bishop, 1941

The San Marcos Salamander ("Eurycea nana") is a small species of aquatic, lungless salamander native to the United States. Endemic to Spring Lake and a small region of the headwaters of the San Marcos River near Aquarena Springs, in Hays County, Texas. It is a 1-2 inches long, with a slender body and external gills, and is a reddish-brown in color.

Conservation status

The San Marcos Salamander has been federally listed as a threatened species since 1980. Due to its extremely limited geographic range, it poses threats from a number of things, but primarily from the contamination of ground water sources and heavy dependence of Central Texas cities upon the Edwards Aquifer for water.

References

* (2000): Phylogenetic relationships of central Texas hemidactyliine plethodontid salamanders, genus "Eurycea", and a taxonomic revision of the group. "Herpetological Monographs" 14: 1-80.
* (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.
* [http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/sanmarcossalamander/ Texas Parks & Wildlife: San Marcos Salamander]
* [http://ecos.fws.gov/species_profile/SpeciesProfile?spcode=D00I US Fish & Wildlife Service: San Marcos Salamander]
* [http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/references.php?id=22342 Amphibian Species of the World: "Eurycea nana"]
* [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eurycea_nana.html Animal Diversity Web: "Eurycea nana"]
* [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/8391/summ IUCN Red List: "Eurycea nana"]