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The Salamander Portal

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The olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander in the family Proteidae, the only cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic; it eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through extensive limestone of karst of Central and Southeastern Europe, specifically southern Slovenia, the Soča river basin near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Herzegovina.

This animal is most notable for its adaptations to a life of complete darkness in its underground habitat. The olm's eyes are undeveloped, leaving it blind, while its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing, are acutely developed. It also lacks any pigmentation in its skin. It has three toes on its forelimbs, but only two toes on its hind feet. It also exhibits neoteny, retaining larval characteristics like external gills into adulthood, like the American amphibians, the axolotl and the mudpuppy. The olm is the only species in the Proteus genus, the only European species of the Proteidae family. It was first mentioned in 1689 by the local naturalist Valvasor in his Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, who reported that, after heavy rains, the olms were washed up from the underground waters and made local people believe that they saw a cave dragon's offspring. (see more...)

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A fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra.
Photo credit: Didier Descouens

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Did you know?

... that the shovelnose salamander and the blackbelly salamander both live in the Appalachian Mountains, but the former feeds exclusively in water while the latter mainly forages on land?
... that the fauna of Colombia includes the largest number of amphibian species in the world?
... that the black jumping salamander, the dwarf false brook salamander, the admirable false brook salamander, the Smith's false brook salamander and Thorius pennatulus are all endemic to Mexico, and critically endangered?
... that A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins has widely been considered "the bible of the field" for American herpetologists?
... that female gregarious slender salamanders often lay their eggs in communal nests?

... that the Ouachita Dusky Salamander, the Fourche Mountain Salamander (pictured), and the Rich Mountain Salamander are all endemic to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma?
... that the East Bay Vivarium is the oldest and largest retail vivarium in the United States?
... that the Cumberland Dusky Salamander is believed to hybridize with the Ocoee Salamander?
... that female European cave salamanders do not normally eat while they guard their eggs for six months or more?
... that where their ranges overlap, the Italian cave salamander sometimes hybridises with Ambrosi's cave salamander?

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Topics

Families - Cryptobranchidae - Hynobiidae - Ambystomatidae - Amphiumidae - Dicamptodontidae - Plethodontidae - Proteidae - Rhyacotritonidae - Salamandridae - Sirenidae

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