SAN MARCOS — Dozens of rare salamanders fill the rows of tanks at the San Marcos Aquatic Resource Center, providing a clear glimpse of the creatures that normally can be found only in the Edwards Aquifer and its caves.
There are the San Marcos salamanders, which hide in the tanks under rocks or in blocks dubbed “salamander hotels” with their tails poking out. Then there are the Texas blind salamanders — the celebrities at the center — which aren’t nearly as shy. They rest on the tops of rocks in their tanks, their translucent skin shining and red gills fanning out.