Barton Springs Salamander
| Barton Springs salamander | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | Eurycea |
| Species: | E. sosorum |
| Binomial name | |
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Eurycea sosorum Chippindale, Price and Hillis, 1993 |
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The Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) is an endangered lungless salamander that only lives in the habitat of Barton Springs in Austin, Texas, USA. Barton Springs salamanders are average-sized (adults grow to approximately 6.4 centimetres (2.5 in) in total length) and have mottled coloration varying from darkish purple to light yellow.
Amphibian species worldwide have been in decline due to climate change including but not limited to: increased UV radiation, change in precipitation, and various pathogen outbreaks (chytrid fungus which causes Chytridiomycosis). However, habitat destruction, degradation, and pollution on a local scale have resulted mainly from land and watershed urbanization. These changes, in turn, affect, among others, water quality and biological community composition of rivers and water systems in the surrounding environment. The wide effects of contamination and degradation on these water systems make analyzing their specific sources difficult since the interactions of factors and overlapping effects may occur. Nonetheless, it is important to study these consequences so that future impact on this and other species may be reduced.
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is required at specific levels to maintain healthy aquatic life. To do this, “national ambient water quality criteria” have been set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and measurements have been made since 1969, albeit inconsistently. Hypoxia, a state of reduced oxygen, may hinder embryonic and fetal development as well as decrease oxygen consumption in adults. Apart from prenatal developments, physiological responses may also arise from a lack of oxygen. Some of the known responses include “Increases in heart rate and buccal pumping, behavioral hypothermia, and gill hypertrophy”.
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Wikipedia