Family Plethodontidae New Eurycea longicauda , the long-tailed salamander. USA Eurycea new species, a troglobitic salamander from the Buttercup Creek Karst, near Austin, Texas. New Gyrinophilus palleucus palleucus , the Tennessee cave salamander. There are three subspecies. Some taxonomic confusion about these two species exists.
New studies are underway.
This was the first species listed as endangered in the USA in 1967. It metamorphoses to an adult, loses its gills, and retreats into the dark zone as skin grows over the decreasingly functional eyes. A Mexican free-tailed bat flight in Texas stays together a long distance from the cave. Such flights may travel hundreds of miles and up to an altitude of 3,000 m to feed on insects at night. The adults are brown, young pups are gray.