Grotto salamander
Eurycea spelaea
The grotto salamander — also called the Ozark blind salamander — is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is now considered a member of the genus ''Eurycea'', but was originally described as ''Typhlotriton speleus''. It is endemic to the United States, specifically the karst regions beneath the
Springfield and Salem Plateaus of the Ozark Mountains part of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Its natural habitats are freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. It is not currently threatened, but vulnerable to changes in groundwater quality and reduction in bat population.
The grotto salamander was discovered in 1891 on the Ozark Plateau, and described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1892. This plateau remains the only area in which grotto salamanders have been found.
Springfield and Salem Plateaus of the Ozark Mountains part of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Its natural habitats are freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. It is not currently threatened, but vulnerable to changes in groundwater quality and reduction in bat population.
The grotto salamander was discovered in 1891 on the Ozark Plateau, and described by Leonhard Hess Stejneger in 1892. This plateau remains the only area in which grotto salamanders have been found.