Fast Facts

• If you are ever lucky enough to see a Texas Blind Salamander in the wild, it will almost certainly be because the water source has pushed it to the surface (Texas Blind Salamander – National Wildlife Federation 2014).

 

• As far as it is known, these salamanders are found only in one place in the entire world-deep below ground in Hays County, Texas (Texas Blind Salamander – National Wildlife Federation 2014). 

• Because they spend their whole lives in complete darkness, they have lost all pigment in their skin and their sightless eyes have become nothing more than mere black specks (Texas Blind Salamander – National Wildlife Federation 2014).

 

• This salamander eats mainly other small prey such as shrimp and snails (DigiMorph Staff- The University of Texas at Austin, 2014).

• Eurycea rathbuni was originally called Typhlomolge rathbuni but it was later switched (DigiMorph Staff- The University of Texas at Austin, 2014).

 

• Because of its rarity, the Texas Blind Salamander is currently on the Federal Endangered Species list (DigiMorph Staff- The University of Texas at Austin, 2014).

 

• To see some cool scans and skeletal images of Eurycea rathbuni, visit this link.