Eurycea nana
Encyclopedia
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 gill
s, and is a reddish-brown in color.
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.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of aquatic, lungless salamander
Lungless salamander
The Plethodontidae, or Lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the western hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea...
native to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Spring Lake and a small region of the headwaters of the San Marcos River
San Marcos River
The San Marcos River rises from the San Marcos Springs, the location of Aquarena Springs, in San Marcos, Texas. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the Texas Blind Salamander, Fountain Darter, and Texas Wild Rice...
near Aquarena Springs
Aquarena Springs
Aquarena Center is an educational center in San Marcos, Texas dedicated to the preservation of the unique archeological and biological resources of Spring Lake. It is managed on behalf of Texas State University–San Marcos by the Texas River Systems Institute located in the Texas Rivers Center...
, in Hays County, Texas
Hays County, Texas
Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
. It is a 1-2 inches long, with a slender body and external gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s, and is a reddish-brown in color.
Conservation status
The San Marcos Salamander has been federally listed as a threatened speciesThreatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
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
Edwards Aquifer
The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Located on the eastern edge of Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas, it discharges about of water a year and directly serves about two million people...
for water.