The olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus Proteus of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant … 展开

The olm lives in well-oxygenated underground waters with a typical, very stable temperature of 8–11 °C (46–52 °F), infrequently as warm as … 展开

Olms from different cave systems differ substantially in body measurements, color, and some microscopic characteristics. Earlier researchers used these differences to support the division into five species, while modern herpetologists understand that external morphology … 展开

The word olm is a German loanword that was incorporated into English in the late 19th century. The origin of the German Olm or Grottenolm 'cave … 展开

External appearance
The olm's body is snakelike, 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long, with some specimens reaching up to 40 centimetres (16 in), which makes them some of the largest cave-dwelling animals in the world. The average length is … 展开

The first written mention of the olm is in Johann Weikhard von Valvasor's The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola (1689) as a baby dragon. Heavy rains of Slovenia would wash the olms up … 展开

The olm is extremely vulnerable to changes in its environment, due to its adaptation to the specific conditions in caves. Water resources in … 展开