The Jollyville Plateau salamander (''Eurycea tonkawae'') is a 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 ...

. It is also known as the Tonkawa Springs salamander. It is

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 ...

Travis Travis may refer to: People and fictional characters *Travis (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Travis (surname), a list of people Places in the United States *Travis, Staten Island, a neighborhood *Travis Air Force Base, a ...

and Williamson counties,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. This species is perrenibranchiate, retaining its gills throughout life. ''Eurycea tonkawae'' is the sister taxon to '' E. naufragia'' and '' E. chisholmensis'', two other endemic perrenibranchiate central Texas salamanders. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are freshwater

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

s, spring runs, and wet caves of the Buttercup karst system. Cave dwelling ''E. tonkawae'' may represent a distinct species, however further work is needed to clarify their taxonomic status.

Conservation status

''Eurycea tonkawae'' is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and habitat degradation due to rapid urban growth. In August, 2013, this species was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

Abundance and Distribution

''Eurycea tonkawae'' have a restricted in abundance in areas with an abundance of water such as the vicinity of wet caves, springs, and spring dominated surface flows. They are known to inhabit aquatic habitats occupying areas under rocks, aquatic plants, and algae. Previous studies have shown highest abundance rates during rainfall seasons such as spring and summer. ''Eurycea tonkawae'' occur in a clumped-like distribution, only being found in the Jolleyville Plateau and Bushy Creek areas in Texas counties.

Notes

References

* Adcock, Z. C., MacLaren, A. R., Jones, R. M., Villamizar-Gomez, A., Wall, A. E., White Iv, K., & Forstner, M. R. J. (2022). Predicting surface abundance of federally threatened Jollyville Plateau Salamanders ( Eurycea tonkawae ) to inform management activities at a highly modified urban spring. ''PeerJ (San Francisco, CA)'', ''10'', e13359–e13359. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13359 * Bendik, N. F. (2017). Demographics, reproduction, growth, and abundance of Jollyville Plateau salamanders (Eurycea tonkawae). ''Ecology and Evolution'', ''7''(13), 5002–5015. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3056 * Bowles, B. D., Sanders, M. S., & Hansen, R. S. (2006). Ecology of the Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae: Plethodontidae) with an Assessment of the Potential Effects of Urbanization. ''Hydrobiologia'', ''553''(1), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-5440-0 * (1993): A new species of perennibranchiate salamander (''Eurycea'', Plethodontidae) from Austin, Texas. ''Herpetologica'' 49: 242–259. * (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.

External links

* Amphibians of the United States Eurycea Cave salamanders Endemic fauna of Texas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot ESA threatened species Amphibians described in 2000 {{Plethodontidae-stub