#olm amphibian

[electronicnutcycle]

the olm needs more love so , here are some facts about the olm.

1.Olms might be the longest-lived amphibian species. Olms can live for at least 50 years, and one study suggests a maximum lifespan of over 100 years

2.Olms are blind. The eyes of the olm are underdeveloped, covered by a layer of skin. It's an adaptation to its dark surroundings. Though the eyes are regressed, they retain a sensitivity to light. Olm larvae have normal eyes for the first four months of life before they start to regress. By the time they are adults, olms are blind.

3.They have translucent skin. Since they spend their entire lives in complete darkness, olms have skin devoid of pigment, giving them a whitish-pink color. Their internal organs can be seen through the skin on their abdomens.

4.They only live in underground caves. Olms are entirely aquatic and found only in the deep underground lakes and pools of caves in the Dinaric Alps — parts of Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, and Herzegovina.

5.They can go a long time between meals. Olms have small mouths with tiny teeth that form a sieve to keep larger food particles in their mouths. They feed on insect larvae, small crabs, and snails, which they swallow whole. Olms can consume large amounts of food at once and store nutrients in the liver. When food is scarce, they reduce their metabolic activity and even reabsorb their own tissues. Experiments show they can live up to 10 years without food.

6.Olms were once thought to be baby dragons. Their natural habitat is mostly inaccessible to people, but after heavy rains, olms occasionally wash up from their underground lairs. Medieval legend considered them baby dragons — their snake-like bodies and frilly gills corresponded to descriptions of dragons, and their soft pale skin looked like that of a human newborn. 

9.Olms never grow up. Unlike most amphibians, olm larvae do not go through a  distinct period of metamorphosis. Instead, the larvae develop directly into adults at about four months of age, but they retain some of their juvenile characteristics, like frilly gills and tail fins.

10.In summary, while axolotls and olms both belong to the family Ambystomatidae and share some similarities, they have distinct evolutionary journeys. Axolotls originated in ancient Mexican lakes and have a more recent evolutionary history, while olms have adapted to life in dark caves over millions of years. Understanding the origin and evolution of these fascinating creatures provides valuable insights into the diversity and adaptability of amphibians.

[herpsandbirds]

Olm (Proteus anguinus), family Proteidae, far NW Italy

This aquatic salamander is neotenic/paedomorphic (retaining juvenile traits - ie. gills and other aquatic adaptations)

Found only in karst rock cave systems with ample water in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Hercegovina, and far NW Italy.

Also called the "human fish", proteus, and white cave salamander.

Olms are blind, but have excellent sense of smell and hearing (for a salamander).

photograph by Matteo Di Nicola

[amphibianaday]

day 1820

[snototter]

A group of olms (Proteus anguinus) in Grotte de Choranche, France

by Thierry Balint

[worksbycam]

Olm Sweet Olm

[feather-bone]

Please consider: olms

The olm is a cave-dwelling salamander from the Alps! It can live up to a hundred years! It uses electrosensitivity and other senses to find food because it has no functional eyes! It grows around 6”-12” long! It can go without food for six years! It’s basically a real life water dragon!

[ID: an illustration of two olms, long white and pink salamanders, curled into a figure-eight shape, with a background resembling moss in dark water. End.]

[critter-creature-or-beast]

Submitted for classification by @tesco-finest-aromantics

"i want to know how people classify olms!"

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Can i request the olm? I love those funky little dudes

[artoffleeks]

O TO BE AN OLM

Personal art. O to be an olm. #furryart #mastoart #art #vectorart

Posted using PostyBirb

[chaobunnyarts]

December's Tiny Reptile and Mini Amphibian pin designs: Green Iguana and Olm 💚🩷

These designs are available as pins and stickers on my Patreon until the end of day today and will ship in December!

Also, check out updates on shipping to the EU, Northern Ireland, and Canada here.

[nonbinary-arsonists]

cave meetcute :)

Amphibiuary Days 13 + 14

[cypherdecypher]

Animal of the Day!

Olm (Proteus anguinus)

Photo from All That’s Interesting)

Conservation Status- Vulnerable

Habitat- Southern Europe

Size (Weight/Length)- 30 cm

Diet- Snails; Crustaceans; Insect larvae

Cool Facts- It’s unlikely that you’ll ever see an olm in the wild, let alone in captivity. Originally thought to be baby dragons when first discovered in 1689, the olm is perfectly adapted for life underground. Olms are found in expansive, wet caves. While you might think that a completely blind salamander wouldn’t survive, the olm is a prolific hunter, being able to both hear and smell underwater, it will eat anything it can get its mouth around. Olms don’t mature until almost 14 years old and it is believed that some can live as long as humans. These salamanders can survive up to ten years without food, going into a type of deep sleep. Being extremely vulnerable to change and only breeding every 12 years, conservationists are hard at work protecting olms from climate change and pollution of their cave systems.

Rating- 13/10 (No shoes, no shirt, no eyes, service please.)

Requested by Anonymous

[herpsandbirds]

Olm (Proteus anguinus), family Proteidae, central Europe

This aquatic salamander is neotenic/paedomorphic (retaining juvenile traits - ie. gills and other aquatic adaptations)

Found only in karst rock cave systems with ample water in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Hercegovina, and far NW Italy.

Also called the “human fish”, proteus, and white cave salamander.

Olms are blind, but have excellent sense of smell and hearing (for a salamander).

photograph by Arne Hodalič

[amphibianaday]

day 1710

[daily-public-domain]

Day 113: Newts and Co. Notice the olm (here called proteus) in the bottom

link

–This image is part of the public domain, meaning you can do anything you want with it ! (you could even sell it as a shirt, poster or whatever)–

[echo-does-art]

An aromantic amphibious dragon! I took traits from a ton of different amphibians, squished them together, and used the aro flag for the color palette since it's aro week :)