CREDIT: J.JOHNSON 



TEXAS BLIND SALAMANDER 



Typhlomolge rathbuni Stejneger 



KINGDOM Animalia 



CLASS Amphibia 



ORDER Caudata 



FAMILY Plethodontidae 



OTHER COMMON NAMES None 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS to be determined. 



Updates 21 November 1977, 31 March 1978, 



22 August 1978. 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal Endangered (32 FR 4000, 11 March 



1978. 

 States Endangered: Texas 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



The Texas blind salamander is endangered be- 



cause of its extremely restricted distribution in a 

 fragile subterranean ecosystem. At accessible lo- 

 cations (especially Ezell's Cave), sightings de- 

 clined sharply in the 1960's, due probably to 

 overcollecting by scientific, commercial, and 

 hobbyist collectors. When the cave was sealed to 

 prevent human entrance, the bat colony that 

 supplied a presumably important energy resource 

 in the form of guano was eliminated. 



Recent research (Longley 1978) has shown 

 that the major part of the population is located in 

 inaccessible parts of the Edwards Aquifer and is 

 probably stable at present. However, there is a po- 

 tential for contamination of the aquifer, as well as 

 evidence that extensive groundwater withdrawal 

 is causing the head in that aquifer to decrease. 

 This could ultimately lead to intrusion of poor 

 quality water from adjacent aquifers (Longley 

 1978). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



