NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Grotto Salamander
Eurycea spelaea (Stejneger, 1892)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The western grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea), also called the Ozark blind salamander and previously known as just the grotto salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
Its natural habitats are freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. It is not currently threatened, but is sensitive to changes in groundwater quality, flooding, and reduction in bat population.
Wikipedia contributors, Western grotto salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:38:17.843365+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Eurycea spelaea (Stejneger, 1892)
- Name authority
- (Stejneger, 1892)
- Common name
- Grotto Salamander
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Plethodontidae
- Genus
- Eurycea
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familyPlethodontidae Gray, 1850
- subfamilyHemidactyliinae Hallowell, 1856
- genusEurycea Rafinesque, 1822
- speciesEurycea spelaea (Stejneger, 1892)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Eurycea. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea bislineata (Green, 1818) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Three-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata (Holbrook, 1838) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hillis's Dwarf SalamanderEurycea hillisi Wray, Means & Steppan, 2017 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-tailed SalamanderEurycea longicauda (Green, 1818) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cave SalamanderEurycea lucifuga Rafinesque, 1822 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eurycea melanopleura (Cope, 1894) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| San Marcos SalamanderEurycea nana Bishop, 1941 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Texas SalamanderEurycea neotenes Bishop & Wright, 1937 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Fern Bank SalamanderEurycea pterophila Burger, Smith & Potter, 1950 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dwarf SalamanderEurycea quadridigitata (Holbrook, 1842) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jollyville Plateau SalamanderEurycea tonkawae Chippindale, Price, Wiens & Hillis, 2000 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Oklahoma SalamanderEurycea tynerensis Moore & Hughes, 1939 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Eurycea spelaeus (Stejneger, 1892) (Stejneger, 1892) | synonym |
| Typhlotriton spelaeus Stejneger, 1892 Stejneger, 1892 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=668292 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3D3HP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.