or three years, the larvae metamorphose, at which point they lose their gills, their eyelids gradually fuse shut over the following year and is eventually covered with supraocular skin, and the now blind adult form spends the rest of its life in a cave. Because the larval eyes continue to grow till metamorphosis occurs, adults will have larger eyes the later the metamorphosisw start, and vice versa. The species is one of very exceptions from the rule that cave salamanders are paedomorphic. It has been hypothesized that the larval form is most beneficial in caves because the majority of the prey lives in water, and their aquatic feeding mechanism is more efficient in the larval form than that of post-metamorphic individuals. The Western grotto salamander has been described as an opportunistic and omnivorous feeder, which in addition to eating small aquatic animals is also coprophagic, feeding on bat guano, which is just as rich in nutrients as their living prey. This allows them to exploit the available food sources in both the aquatic and terrestrial environments inside the cave. Alongside E. nerea, E. braggi, and the West Virginia spring salamander, the western grotto salamander is the only cave salamander which undergoes metamorphosis. The adult form is pinkish white, sometimes with traces of orange on its tail, feet, and sides, and has 16–19 costal grooves. See also Cave salamander References Plethodontidae Cave salamanders Amphibians of the United States Ozarks Endemic fauna of the United States Amphibians described in 1892 Taxa named by Leonhard Stejneger Taxonomy articles created by Polbot