#texas blind salamander

[amphibianaday]

day 1504

[linseedling]

teasers for book 2

[bobcat-pie]

HOWM'ST THE FUCCCCCK DID IT TAKE ME THIS LONG TO LEARN ABOUT THE TEXAS BLIND SALAMANDER

I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH OLMS FOR YEARS KNOWING THAT I'LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE ONE SINCE I DON'T HAVE THE WILL TO TRAVEL TO SLOVENIA. BUT THERE'S AMERICAN VERSIONS OF OLMS PRODUCED BY CONVERGENT EVOLUTION.

WHAT A WORLD!!!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD!!!!!!!

[jabeur]

my download folder having a series of pictures of old men with videos of a texas blind salamander in between. very me yeah

[herpsandbirds]

One Texan to another, have you ever posted about the Texas Blind Salamander (Eurycea rathbuni)? We don’t know if they have predators, but i think it’s kinda funny that if they do, there’s a chance it’s a fish from the genus Satan.

Oh yes, We have done a little something about our special texas friend. Here you go...

Texas Blind Salamander (Eurycea rathbuni), family Plethodontidae, found in cave systems near San Marcos, Central TX, USA

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

Endangered due to groundwater pollution and removal.

photograph by Joe N. Fries & Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

[slime-gods]

i have finished cooking and I bring thee a meal :3c

been loving rt's minecraft playthrough and decided magistrex needed a cool look too :D

I found an animal called Texas Blind Salamander who live in caves and figured that fit him, as well as sculk (because he just yearns for the deep dark fr) (basic ref below)

I love how it all turned out, the pose, the facial expressions, the shading, etc

I just realized I never posted my new rt ref here so,,,, I'll just slide that down here-

[wtfgaylittlezooid]

Redesigned the starters for Astroranger/the texas fakemon region!

[encorific]

doodle dump !!!!! feat. spiderham headcanons, sam headcanons, sam and max junk, and oc doodles :]

the ocs are pork and tommy, my flesh eating thing and texas blind salamander who is also an interdimensional fry cook, i love them very much <333

[fantorreli]

do you have a favorite creature you know of? Species,not individual.

I’m just curious.

i'm not fully sure, there's so many to see! each with their own great qualities.

hmm.

birds are impressive no matter what state they're in! like there's a bird that can click its beak together like a machine gun!

and lizards- did you know there's a lizard that can shoot blood out of their eyes??

they're all so fascinating even if you aren't getting into the more unique beasts!!

i think Kaijagrex would like giant tortoises, Eldrorrok surprisingly enough might like the texas blind salamander, Cello would've liked song birds a lot, Suvastiriff would probably enjoy flying squirrels, Sciferimov should be given a jellyfish, Romillacect obviously doesn't mind bugs all that much, and Psychoperdilitch-

well... i think maybe he would've liked cats, or some other house pet.

[amphibianaday]

Old or Texas blind salamander please :>

day 1235

[typhlonectes]

Modifications in Subterranean Salamanders

by Dante Fenolio

In 1971, one of my heroes, biologist Ron Brandon, wrote of "modifications" that he observed in obligate subterranean salamanders (species no longer inhabiting surface environments).

These are adaptations to permanent life in groundwater and cave waterways - or to terrestrial cave habitats in the adult form of the Grotto Salamander species group as well as metamorphic West Virginia Spring Salamanders.  

Among these modifications was a flattening and broadening of the head - relative to surface inhabiting plethodontid (lungless) salamanders.  One hypothesis for the observed modification is that more teeth can be incorporated into the mouth.  

The widened mouth, with an increased tooth count, improves prey capture/handling efficiency. In an environment where feeding opportunities are scant (groundwater habitats) every feeding opportunity must be maximized. 

Brandon also listed these body changes as modifications to an obligate subterranean existence: reduced eyes and pigmentation, reduced number of trunk vertebrae, and elongated appendages.  

Certainly a trend toward a permanent life in water has been observed. In general, salamanders attain permanent life in water, in a "juvenile" body form, via neoteny (sexual maturity of an animal while it is still in a larval form) or paedomorphy (retaining juvenile features as an adult).  

Everything we have learned in the following 50 years has taught us that Brandon's "modifications" are real, are useful in subterranean habitats, and allow subterranean salamanders to survive in challenging and difficult environments below ground.

photograph of Texas Blind Salamander by Ryan Hagerty | USFWS

[nanistar]

yoo i never knew about olms before... they're adorable they're like if you stretched and rolled an axolotl like playdough and left it that way. i love them. are they not fully aquatic? also this cat seems so cute and sweet i hope the best for them!!

they're so interesting! they are technically fully aquatic but for this case it's hanging out very close to the water where it's damp and moist.

they can go up to 10 years without food and without anything more than minor movements so this one in particular has (as long as anyone can remember) always been there. moonclan just calls it "the olm" (theyre also native to europe but shhh)

also for your consideration; the texas blind salamander, which looks and acts very similar (just less long) but is completely different and evolved in similar conditions but only in one county in texas. (they move a lot more frequently though, and i needed it to be stationary which is why i chose the olm over the TBS)

olm:

texas blind salamander:

its like the middle evolution between axolotl and olm lol

just stretch this guy out

[priceseyes]

also! this is another hc of mine for price and athena/birdie but: I can't really see athena entering motherhood, at least not atm HOWEVER, i do see her and price becoming fur baby parents. they'd have a blind texas salamander named palo and an australian cattle dog. as for the name of that dog? I don't know yet BUT i do know he'd be male so if any of you have suggestions, feel free to let me know. <33

[maxi-is-not-well]

Texas blind salamander knockoff

[bats-n-fantrolls]

Name > Meumis Xicard

Gender / Pronouns > Male, He/it

Age > early twenties (years)

Height > 6’7” / 200.6 cm

Lusus > Salamandad, a 5ft long texas blind salamander

Symbol > Libo Sign of the Militant

Blood Caste > Teal

Voice Claim > TBD

Face Claim > TBD

Ancestor > TBD

trolltag > [cC] cardiovascularCoroner

Strife Specibus > slack modus

Interests > Social Sciences

Likes > Luxurious items, Lusii, Wealth, Eroticism, Sadism

Dislikes > anything taboo by alternian standards, hot weather, bright lights

Quadrants

Name - Quadrant

Name - Quadrant

Name - Quadrant

Quirk > all lowercase,, double puncuation//symbols,, uses # for H (not doubled) replaces N with |\|

Personality > Meumis is a very outwardly flirty and flamboyant person, quite possibly a bit of an oversharer. He tends to get away with things due to some sort of natural charm. It’s most common feelings or crushes are usually pitch. He has a very big ego, but is very accommodating to his lusus and others he sees as less than him. He is a bit of an ass, and he knows it. A smug creature who is d e e p l y insecure and self-absorbed, usually manifesting as self-deprecation and self-sabotage.

Weapon > Mace

Trivia >

Meumis’s hive is very messy, something that is a result of his poor image, but always makes sure it’s pristine for company. Others rarely see it be a mess.

Secretly, a little masochism

[herpsandbirds]

Texas Blind Salamander (Eurycea rathbuni), family Plethodontidae, found in cave systems in Central TX, USA

ENDANGERED.

photograph by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS