The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed a blind salamander found only in Texas as endangered and a second species as threatened.
The federal agency published the listings Tuesday. It says the Austin blind salamander is endangered. The Jollyville Plateau species is listed as threatened until a final determination in six months.
The agency says in a news release these salamanders live only in a small area of Central Texas. It has designated more than 4,400 acres as critical habitat, a move that will require developers and others to work around land in one of the state's most rapidly growing urban areas.
The agency says the salamanders are threatened by a degradation of habitat, and a drop in crucial water supplies due to drought and urbanization.
