Austin is home to three species of salamander that occur no where else in the world except in and around this city. The Barton Springs and the Austin Blind salamanders are found only in the group of springs known as Barton Springs. The third species, the Jollyville Plateau Salamander, lives primarily in the springs and streams of northwest Austin and southern Williamson County. The Barton Springs salamander is federally endangered and both the Austin Blind and Jollyville Plateau salamanders are candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act because of the ever-increasing human impact on their environment.

All three species are fully aquatic members of the family Plethodontidae, also known as the lungless salamanders, (oxygen exchange occurs entirely through their skin and/or gills in aquatic species). Please visit the links on the left to learn more about each species and the City’s role in monitoring and protecting them.