Georgia Blind Salamander Eurycea #1
by Dante Fenolio
Title
Georgia Blind Salamander Eurycea #1
Artist
Dante Fenolio
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei), is an obligate inhabitant of groundwater. This species only lives in the Floridan Aquifer and is known from sites in both Florida and Georgia. Excessive removal of groundwater and contamination of the resource threatens this species with intensive agricultural activities taking place on the surface above the Floridan Aquifer. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable, Florida lists the species as a 'species of special concern' and Georgia lists the species as 'threatened.' The suite of characters associated with life below ground are readily observable in this species with a decrease in pigment, no eyes, a flattened and spade shaped head, and neoteny (reproductive capability in a larval body form). The San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research was the first in the world to breed this species is captivity in 2019. These images depict the captive breeding event. This is a composite image of a gravid female right before laying eggs.
Uploaded
December 1st, 2019
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