The Georgia blind salamander (''Eurycea wallacei'') 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. 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. In ...

(the "lungless salamanders"). It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found else ...

to the south-eastern United States where its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and 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 ...

s are inland karsts,

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

s and subterranean habitats (other than caves). It is listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN and is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Taxonomy

The Georgia blind salamander was originally described as a member of the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

genus '' Haideotriton'', but was later placed in the genus ''Eurycea''.

Distribution

The Georgia blind salamander is found in underground habitats in the Southeastern United States. Its precise distribution is unknown, however the first specimen to be examined scientifically was discovered in 1939 in water pumped from a deep well in

Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia m ...

. The only other locality in Georgia from which it is known is the Climax Cave, near

Climax, Georgia Climax is a small town in Decatur County, Georgia, United States. The town was named "Climax" because it is located at the highest point of the railroad between Savannah, Georgia, and the Chattahoochee River. The population was 280 at the 2010 ce ...

, in

Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur: *Decatur County, Georgia *Decatur County, Indiana *Decatur County, Iowa *Decatur County, Kansas *Decatur County, Tennessee *Decatu ...

. The salamander is also known from at least eight locations near Marianna in

Jackson County, Florida Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, on its northwestern border with Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,319. Its county seat is Marianna. History Jackson County was created by the Florida Terri ...

. All these locations are connected to the Floridan aquifer, a vast system of underground water-filled passageways in

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

which underlies much of the Southeastern United States.

Biology

Very little is known about the biology of this salamander. It feeds on

ostracod Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a class of the Crustacea (class Ostracoda), sometimes known as seed shrimp. Some 70,000 species (only 13,000 of which are extant) have been identified, grouped into several orders. They are small crustaceans, typi ...

s, amphipods, isopods, copepods and other small aquatic prey. It frequents caverns where bats roost where bat droppings may fall into the water. Females with developing eggs have been found in May and November and it is thought that breeding may take place at any time of year. It appears to remain

neotenic Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny is found in modern humans compa ...

(breeding in its larval state) and no metamorphosised individuals have ever been found. The

Dougherty Plain blind crayfish ''Cambarus cryptodytes'', the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish or Apalachicola cave crayfish, is a small, freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida and Georgia in the United States. It is an underground species known only from waters associated with th ...

(''Cambarus cryptodytes'') is often found in the same habitat and may prey on the salamander, and fish such as the American eel (''Anguilla rostrata''), the

brown bullhead The brown bullhead (''Ameiurus nebulosus'') is a fish of the family Ictaluridae that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead (''Ameiurus melas'') and yellow bullhead (''Am ...

(''Ameiurus nebulosus'') and the

Redeye Chub Redeye chub (''Notropis harperi'') is a species of cyprinid Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinida ...

(''Notropis harperi'') are also likely predators. The eyes are extremely reduced, and are embedded in a mass of adipose tissue. Extrinsic eye muscles are absent, and the undifferentiated retina is lacking rods and cones, an outer plexiform layer, and a subdivided nuclear layer. In some individuals a rudimentary lense is present.Cave Biodiversity: Speciation and Diversity of Subterranean Fauna
/ref>

Habitat and conservation

The locations in which the Georgia blind salamander are found are connected by the Floridan aquifer and it is presumed that it is by this means that populations are linked. The water is usually clear, but may become cloudy after heavy rain, and remains at throughout the year. Two of the caves in which this species was found at one time have since been destroyed. Other caves in the

Florida Caverns State Park Florida Caverns State Park is a state park of Florida in the United States, part of the Florida State Parks system. It is located in the Florida Panhandle near Marianna. It is the only Florida state park with air-filled caves accessible to the ...

are protected and in these, populations of the salamander seem stable. The IUCN considers this species vulnerable. Threats include pollution from agricultural activities and changes in the

water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...

due to the extraction of water from the aquifer. There is a possibility that populations may be impacted by over-removal for scientific purpose or by collectors.

Motion

It is blind, and uses its tail and ears to "see" where it is going. It moves weirdly, as expecting to be attacked at any time.

References