List of amphibians of Texas

A map of the state of Texas that displays elevation
Topographic map of Texas

Seventy-two amphibian species are found in the American state of Texas, including forty-four species of frog and twenty-eight species of salamander. Four species are categorized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: the Barton Springs salamander, the Texas blind salamander, the black-spotted newt, and the Houston toad. Furthermore, Texas law protects several native amphibians, designating eleven species as threatened within the state and four others as endangered.[1][2][3]

The varied geography of Texas, the second-largest state, hosts a variety of habitats for amphibians, including swamps and the Piney Woods in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the central Hill Country of the Edwards Plateau, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west (the Trans-Pecos), and grassland prairie in the north, also known as the Panhandle. This vast contrast in biomes makes Texas home to a wide variety of herpetofauna.[4][5][6] The state's many rivers, including the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and the Trinity River, also provide diverse aquatic habitats.[7][8] Its central position in the United States means that species found primarily in either the western or eastern reaches of the country often have their ranges meeting in the state. Additionally, its proximity to Mexico is such that many species found there and into Central America also range as far north as Texas.[4] Moreover, the karst topography of central Texas has created spring and cave ecosystems inhabited by several endemic species,[9] such as the cave-dwelling Texas blind salamander.[10]

  1. ^ "Federal and State Listed Amphibians and Reptiles in Texas". Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "31 TAC §65.175: State‐Listed Threatened Species in Texas" (PDF). Government of Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  3. ^ "31 TAC §65.176: Endangered Species" (PDF). Government of Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Texas Ecoregions". Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "Native Habitats & Ecosystems". National Audubon Society. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ecoregion Download Files by State – Region 6". Environmental Protection Agency. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  7. ^ "Texas River Guide". Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Texas". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Overview of Texas Caves & Karst". Texas Speleological Survey. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference rathbuni was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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