Name

Proteus anguinus

olm, proteus

Framing

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Caudata

Family: Proteidae

Genus: Proteus

Species: anguinus

Habitat

This fully troglobitic species is found in large subterranean aquatic karst systems formed in limestone and dolomite rocks, and can be found in cave entrances.

Feeding

Carnivorous. They feed on detritus and endemic cave vertebrates.

Distribution

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and France.

Conservation status

Vulnerable (VU)

Additional information

Cylindrical and banded body with regularly spaced grooves. The tail is relatively short, laterally flattened, and surrounded by a slender fin. Legs small and slender. External gills in all stages of development, including adult.