Georgia Blind Salamander
by Dante Fenolio
Title
Georgia Blind Salamander
Artist
Dante Fenolio
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Georgia Blind Salamander, Eurycea wallacei (=Haideotriton), 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). These images were taken in Georgia in 2012.
Uploaded
October 14th, 2018
Embed
Share
Comments
There are no comments for Georgia Blind Salamander. Click here to post the first comment.