The Austin blind salamander (''Eurycea waterlooensis'') is an endangered species of

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

in the family

Plethodontidae Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. With over 500 species, lungless salamanders are by far the largest family of salamanders in terms of their diversity. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from B ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Barton Springs in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, United States. Its name is derived from Waterloo, the original name of Austin. Austin blind salamanders, typically juveniles, have been observed at spring outlets. However, probably most of the population lives in subterranean cavities, and its total abundance is unknown, but it seems much less abundant than the sympatric Barton Springs salamander (''E. sosorum''). It is a totally aquatic species that is paedomorphic (does not metamorphose).

References

Cave salamanders Eurycea Amphibians of the United States Endemic fauna of Texas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 2001 {{Plethodontidae-stub