Fern Bank Salamander
Eurycea pterophila
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- E. pterophila – Comal Co, TX – photo from iNaturalist, John Williams
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Eurycea pterophila occurs in springs and caves of the Blanco River drainage of Blanco, Hays, and Kendall counties, Texas.
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings, but the status of Fern Bank salamanders remains open to question, pending further studies of relationships among populations of southeastern Edwards Plateau Eurycea. (Ref: AmphibiaWeb)
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eurycea pterophila (Burger, Smith and Potter, 1950)
Genus: Eurycea, probably honors Eurydice — although Rafinesque only wrote “Mythological” (Greek) – Eurydice was the wife of Orpheus.
Species: pterophila, Greek – ptero = fern + philos = lover of — ref. habitat
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jaeger 1962