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NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD

Austin Blind Salamander

Eurycea waterlooensis Hillis, Chamberlain, Wilcox & Chippindale, 2001

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.

U.S. Geological Survey – Gap Analysis Project, 2018, U.S.Geological Survey – Gap Analysis Project Species Range Maps CONUS_2001: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7Q81B3R

U.S. Geological Survey – Gap Analysis Project, 2018, U.S.Geological Survey – Gap Analysis Project Species Range Maps CONUS_2001: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7Q81B3R

Nthnjustice · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

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Open encyclopedia reference

The Austin blind salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis) is an endangered species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to Barton Springs in Austin, Texas, United States. Its name is derived from Waterloo, the original name of Austin.

Austin blind salamanders, typically juveniles, have been observed at spring outlets. However, probably most of the population lives in subterranean cavities, and its total abundance is unknown, but it seems much less abundant than the sympatric Barton Springs salamander (E. sosorum).

It is a totally aquatic species that is paedomorphic (does not metamorphose).

Wikipedia contributors, Austin blind salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:38:07.268510+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name
Eurycea waterlooensis Hillis, Chamberlain, Wilcox & Chippindale, 2001
Name authority
Hillis, Chamberlain, Wilcox & Chippindale, 2001
Common name
Austin Blind 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.

  1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
  2. kingdomAnimalia
  3. phylumChordata
  4. subphylumVertebrata
  5. infraphylumGnathostomata
  6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
  7. megaclassTetrapoda
  8. classAmphibia
  9. orderCaudata
  10. familyPlethodontidae Gray, 1850
  11. subfamilyHemidactyliinae Hallowell, 1856
  12. genusEurycea Rafinesque, 1822
  13. speciesEurycea waterlooensis Hillis, Chamberlain, Wilcox & Chippindale, 2001

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Eurycea. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

SpeciesClassificationSource status
Northern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea bislineata (Green, 1818)PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Three-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata (Holbrook, 1838)PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Hillis's Dwarf SalamanderEurycea hillisi Wray, Means & Steppan, 2017PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Long-tailed SalamanderEurycea longicauda (Green, 1818)PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Cave SalamanderEurycea lucifuga Rafinesque, 1822PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Eurycea melanopleura (Cope, 1894)PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
San Marcos SalamanderEurycea nana Bishop, 1941PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Texas SalamanderEurycea neotenes Bishop & Wright, 1937PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Fern Bank SalamanderEurycea pterophila Burger, Smith & Potter, 1950PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Dwarf SalamanderEurycea quadridigitata (Holbrook, 1842)PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Jollyville Plateau SalamanderEurycea tonkawae Chippindale, Price, Wiens & Hillis, 2000PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Oklahoma SalamanderEurycea tynerensis Moore & Hughes, 1939PlethodontidaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant

Browse 371 records assigned to Plethodontidae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

North America

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.

  1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=668294 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.

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:3D3HY. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.