Proteus anguinus
Laurenti 1768
| ORDER | FAMILY |
|---|---|
| Urodela | Proteidae |
Synonyms
see below
There are numerous synonyms, see the Amphibians of the World webpage for a full list
Common name is Olm, or The Olm
Country
Dinaric KarstHabitat
This species is stygobitic (i.e. aquatic)
Systematics
The genus Proteus Laurenti 1768 is widely distributed on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea and populations are currently found in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and probably also in Montenegro (Kostanjsek et al. 2023). Currently there is only one nominal species in the genus, Proteus anguinus Laurenti 1768 with two subspecies: P. anguinus anguinus Laurenti 1768 and P. anguinus parkelj Sket and Arntzen 1994. The first of these subspecies in troglomorphic whereas the second is pigmented and known as the “black Proteus” or “black morph”. Populations are found over a linear northwest to southeast distance of 500km and it has been hypothesized several times that these are not all the same species. There is now clear genetic evidence that there are at least nine evolutionary significant units (ESUs) across this distribution and in due course it is highly likely that all of these nine will eventually be described as separate species with their own species names. Currently (see Kostanjsek et al. 2023 and Recknagel et al. 2023 for details) there are nine named ESUs:
Ljubljanica (containing the type locailty of P. anguinus which will eventually be the only species to bear this name)
Kras/Carso
Stiĉna
Dolenjska
Proteus anguinus parkelj
Istra
Lika
Krajina
Para-Littoral
Making 9 probable species in the genus. This will mean that there are currently 25 global species of subterranean Amphibia (16 in North and Central America and 9 in Europe).
Conservation Status
VU B2ab(ii, iii, v)
Internet Resources
Key References
In order to save time and resources all bibliographic details for the nine Proteus species are provided under the species account for Proteus anguinus. These references are all entirely relevant to all nine known species but nothing is gained by repeating them nine times
- Valvasor J.W. (1689)
- Laurenti J.L. (1768)
- Hochenwart, F. (1838)
- Fitzinger, L. (1850)
- Fejervary, G.J. (1926)
- Briegleb, W. (1962)
- Durand, J.P. (1972)
- Thines, G. and Durand, J. (1973)
- Durand, J.P. (1973)
- Durand, J.P. (1976)
- Sket, B. and Velkovrh, F. (1978)
- Garasic, M. (1980)
- Kranjec, N. (1981)
- Durand, J.P. and Delay, B. (1981)
- Durand, J.P. (1982)
- Aljančič, M., Habič, P. and Mihevc, A. (1986)
- Bulog, B. (1989)
- Aljančič, M., Bulog, B., Kranjc, A., Josipovič, D., Sket, B. and Skoberne, P. (1993)
- Sket, B. (1994)
- Sket, B. and Arntzen, J.W. (1994)
- Grillitsch, H. and Tiedemann, F. (1994)
- Kletecki, E., Jalzic, B. and Rada, T. (1996)
- Sket, B. (1997)
- Durand, J.P. (1998)
- Tvrtkovic, N. (1999)
- Weber, A. (2000)
- Kos, M., Bulog, B., Szél, Á. and Röhlich, P. (2001)
- Kletecki, E., Jalzic, B. and Rada, T. (2002)
- Sket, B., Paragamian, K. and Trontelj, P. (2004)
- Sket, B. (2004)
- Bulog, B. (2004)
- Weber, A. (2004)
- Durand, J.P. (2005)
- Sket, B. (2005)
- Gorički, Š. and Trontelj, P. (2006)
- Trontelj, P., Gorički, Š., Polak, S., Verovnik, R., Zakšek, V. and Sket, B. (2007)
- Schlegel, P.A., Steinfartz, S. and Bulog, B. (2009)
- Pezdirc, M., Heath, E., Mali, L.B. and Bulog, B. (2011)
- Goricki, S., Niemiller, M.L. and Fenolio, D.B. (2012)
- Hajna, N.Z. (2012)
- Sket, B. (2012)
- Ivanović, A., Aljančič, G. and Arntzen, J.W. (2013)
- Sessions, S., Bulog, B. and Mali, L.B. (2015)
- Bizjak Mali. L. and Bulog, B. (2016)
- Bonacci, O. (2017)
- Gorički, S., Stanković, D., Snoj, A., Kuntner, M., Jeffery, W.R., Trontelj, P., Pavićević, M., Grizelj, Z., Năpăruş-Aljančič, M. and Aljančič, G. (2017)
- Vörös, J., Márton, O., Schmidt, B.R., Gál, J.T., & Jelić, D. (2017)
- Bizjak-Mali, L. (2017)
- Năpăruș-Aljančič, M., Gorički, Š., Stanković, D., Kuntner, M. and Aljančič, G. (2017)
- Vörös, J., Ursenbacher, S. and Jelić, D. (2018)
- Zakšek, V., Konec, M. and Trontelj, P. (2018)
- Kostanjšek, R., Prodan, Y., Stres, B. and Trontelj, P. (2019)
- Gorički, Š., Niemiller, M.L., Fenolio, D.B. and Gluesenkamp, AG. (2019)
- Aljančič, G. (2019)
- Balázs, G., Lewarne, B. and Herczeg, G. (2020)
- Li. Z., Verbrugghe, E., Konstanjšek, R., Lukač, M., Pasmans, .F, Cizelj., I. and Martel, A. (2020)
- Gredar, T. (2020)
- Whittaker, K. and Koo, M.S. (2021)
- Garasic, M. (2021)
- Tesarová, M., Mancini, L., Mauri, E., Aljancic, G., Naparus-Aljancic, M., Kostanjšek, R., Mali, L.B., Zikmund, T., Kaucká, M., Papi, F., Goyens, J., Bouchnita, A., Hellander, A. (2022)
- Kostanjšek, R. et al. (2022)
- Guillaume, O. (2022)
- Barzaghi, B., Ficetola, F.G., Mauri, E., Restaino, M., Lombardi, B. and Manenti, R. (2022)
- Recknagel, H., Zakšek, V., Delić, T., Gorički, S. and Trontelj, P. (2023)
- Kostanjsek, R., Zaksek, V., Bizjak-Mali, L. and Trontelj, P. (2023)
- Lewarne, B. and Allain, S.J.R. (2023)
- Barzaghi, B. (2023)
| Valvasor J.W. | Book | 1689 | Die Ehre des Herzogthums Crain. |
| Laurenti J.L. | Book | 1768 | Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena et Antidota Reptilium Austriacorum. |
| Hochenwart, F. | Journal Article | 1838 | Protheus anguinus |
| Fitzinger, L. | Journal Article | 1850 | Ueber den Proteus anguinus der Autoren |
| Fejervary, G.J. | Journal Article | 1926 | Note sur la variation du Protee et description d'individus provenants d'un nouvel habitat |
| Briegleb, W. | Journal Article | 1962 | Zur Biologie und Oekologie des Grottenolms (Proteus anguinus Laur. 1768 |
| Durand, J.P. | Journal Article | 1972 | Recherches sur l'appareil visuel du protee, Proteus anguinus Laurenti, urodele hypoge |
| Thines, G. and Durand, J. | Journal Article | 1973 | Connaissances actuelles sur l'appareil sensoriel da la ligne laterale chez les vertebres cavernicoles aquatique |
| Durand, J.P. | Journal Article | 1973 | Development et involution oculaire de Proteus anguinus Laurenti Urodele cavernicole |
| Durand, J.P. | Journal Article | 1976 | Rudimentation des yeux chez les poissons et urodeles souterraines |
| Sket, B. and Velkovrh, F. | Journal Article | 1978 | The discovery of Proteus-eggs (Proteus anguinus Laurenti, Amphibia) in seminatural conditions |
| Garasic, M. | Conference Paper | 1980 | Pronadjena covjecja ribica (Proteus anguinus) u podzemnoj rijeci Rokine bezdane kod Jezerana u Lici |
| Kranjec, N. | Thesis | 1981 | Razsirjenost in variabilnost mocerila (Proteus anguinus Laurenti) |
| Durand, J.P. and Delay, B. | Journal Article | 1981 | Influence of temperature on the development of Proteus anguinus (Caudata: Proteidae) and relation with its habitat in the subterranean world |
| Durand, J.P. | Journal Article | 1982 | Donnees et hypotheses sur l'evolution des Proteidae |
| Aljančič, M., Habič, P. and Mihevc, A. | Journal Article | 1986 | Črni močeril iz Bele krajine [The Black olm from White Carniola] |
| Bulog, B. | Journal Article | 1989 | Differentiation of the inner ear sensory epithelia of Proteus anguinus (Urodela, Amphibia) |
| Aljančič, M., Bulog, B., Kranjc, A., Josipovič, D., Sket, B. and Skoberne, P. | Book | 1993 | Proteus – The Mysterious Ruler of Karst Darkness |
| Sket, B. | Book Section | 1994 | "Yugoslavia" (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia) |
| Sket, B. and Arntzen, J.W. | Journal Article | 1994 | A black, non-troglomorphic amphibian from the karst of Slovenia: Proteus anguinus parkelj n. ssp. (Urodela: Proteidae) |
| Grillitsch, H. and Tiedemann, F. | Journal Article | 1994 | Die Grottenolm-Typen Leopold Fitzingers (Caudata: Proteidae: Proteus) |
| Kletecki, E., Jalzic, B. and Rada, T. | Journal Article | 1996 | Distribution of the Olm (Proteus anguinus, Laur.) in Croatia |
| Sket, B. | Journal Article | 1997 | Distribution of Proteus (Amphibia: Urodela: Proteidae) and its possible explanation |
| Durand, J.P. | Book Section | 1998 | Amphibia |
| Tvrtkovic, N. | Journal Article | 1999 | Cavernicole vertebrates of the Dinaric karst |
| Weber, A. | Book Section | 2000 | Fish and amphibia |
| Kos, M., Bulog, B., Szél, Á. and Röhlich, P. | Journal Article | 2001 | Immunocytochemical demonstration of visual pigments in the degenerate retinal and pineal photoreceptors of the blind cave salamander (Proteus anguinus). |
| Kletecki, E., Jalzic, B. and Rada, T. | Book Section | 2002 | Amphibia |
| Sket, B., Paragamian, K. and Trontelj, P. | Book Section | 2004 | A census of the obligate subterranean fauna of the Balkan peninsula |
| Sket, B. | Book Section | 2004 | Dinaric Karst: Biospeleology |
| Bulog, B. | Book Section | 2004 | Amphibia: Proteus |
| Weber, A. | Book Section | 2004 | Amphibia |
| Durand, J.P. | Book Section | 2005 | Salamanders |
| Sket, B. | Book Section | 2005 | Dinaric Karst, Diversity in |
| Gorički, Š. and Trontelj, P. | Journal Article | 2006 | Structure and evolution of the mitochondrial control region and flanking sequences in the European cave salamander Proteus anguinus |
| Trontelj, P., Gorički, Š., Polak, S., Verovnik, R., Zakšek, V. and Sket, B. | Journal Article | 2007 | Age estimates for some subterranean taxa and lineages in the Dinaric Karst |
| Schlegel, P.A., Steinfartz, S. and Bulog, B. | Journal Article | 2009 | Non-visual sensory physiology and magnetic orientation in the blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus (and other cave-dwelling urodele species): review and new results on light-sensitivity and non-visual orientation in subterranean urodeles (Amphibia) |
| Pezdirc, M., Heath, E., Mali, L.B. and Bulog, B. | Journal Article | 2011 | PCB accumulation and tissue distribution in cave salamander (Proteus anguinus anguinus, Amphibia, Urodela) in the polluted karstic hinterland of the Krupa River, Slovenia |
| Goricki, S., Niemiller, M.L. and Fenolio, D.B. | Book Section | 2012 | Salamanders |
| Hajna, N.Z. | Book Section | 2012 | Dinaric Karst: Geography and geology |
| Sket, B. | Book Section | 2012 | Diversity patterns in the Dinaric karst |
| Ivanović, A., Aljančič, G. and Arntzen, J.W. | Journal Article | 2013 | Skull shape differentiation of black and white olms (Proteus anguinus anguinus and Proteus a. parkelj): An exploratory analysis with micro-CT scanning |
| Sessions, S., Bulog, B. and Mali, L.B. | Journal Article | 2015 | The phoenix rises: Reversal of cave adaptations in the blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus? |
| Bizjak Mali. L. and Bulog, B. | Journal Article | 2016 | Functional morphology and environmental studies on Proteus |
| Bonacci, O. | Book | 2017 | Karst Hydrology : With Special Reference to the Dinaric Karst |
| Gorički, S., Stanković, D., Snoj, A., Kuntner, M., Jeffery, W.R., Trontelj, P., Pavićević, M., Grizelj, Z., Năpăruş-Aljančič, M. and Aljančič, G. | Journal Article | 2017 | Environmental DNA in subterranean biology: range extension and taxonomic implications for Proteus |
| Vörös, J., Márton, O., Schmidt, B.R., Gál, J.T., & Jelić, D. | Journal Article | 2017 | Surveying Europe's only cave-dwelling chordate species (Proteus anguinus) using environmental DNA. |
| Bizjak-Mali, L. | Journal Article | 2017 | Variability of testes morphology and the presence of testis-ova in the European blind cave salamander (Proteus anguinus) |
| Năpăruș-Aljančič, M., Gorički, Š., Stanković, D., Kuntner, M. and Aljančič, G. | Journal Article | 2017 | GIS analysis to assess the groundwater habitat pollution of black proteus |
| Vörös, J., Ursenbacher, S. and Jelić, D. | Journal Article | 2018 | Population genetic analyses using 10 new polymorphic microsatellite loci confirms genetic subdivision within the olm, Proteus anguinus |
| Zakšek, V., Konec, M. and Trontelj, P. | Journal Article | 2018 | First microsatellite data on Proteus anguinus reveal weak genetic structure between the caves of Postojna and Planina |
| Kostanjšek, R., Prodan, Y., Stres, B. and Trontelj, P. | Journal Article | 2019 | Composition of the cutaneous bacterial community of a cave amphibian, Proteus anguinus |
| Gorički, Š., Niemiller, M.L., Fenolio, D.B. and Gluesenkamp, AG. | Book Section | 2019 | Salamanders |
| Aljančič, G. | Journal Article | 2019 | History of research on Proteus anguinus Laurenti 1768 in Slovenia |
| Balázs, G., Lewarne, B. and Herczeg, G. | Journal Article | 2020 | Extreme site fidelity of the olm (Proteus anguinus) revealed by a long-term capture–mark–recapture study |
| Li. Z., Verbrugghe, E., Konstanjšek, R., Lukač, M., Pasmans, .F, Cizelj., I. and Martel, A. | Journal Article | 2020 | Dampened virulence and limited proliferation of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans during subclinical infection of the troglobiont olm (Proteus anguinus) |
| Gredar, T. | Thesis | 2020 | Development of non-destructive approaches for sex identification in the Proteus (Proteus anguinus, Urodela, Amphibia) |
| Whittaker, K. and Koo, M.S. | Web Page | 2021 | Proteus anguinus: Olm |
| Garasic, M. | Book | 2021 | The Dinaric Karst System of Croatia. Speleology and Cave Exploration |
| Tesarová, M., Mancini, L., Mauri, E., Aljancic, G., Naparus-Aljancic, M., Kostanjšek, R., Mali, L.B., Zikmund, T., Kaucká, M., Papi, F., Goyens, J., Bouchnita, A., Hellander, A. | Journal Article | 2022 | Living in darkness: Exploring adaptation of Proteus anguinus in 3 dimensions by X-ray imaging |
| Kostanjšek, R. et al. | Journal Article | 2022 | Towards the massive genome of Proteus anguinus, illuminating longevity, regeneration, convergent evolution and metabolic disorders |
| Guillaume, O. | Conference Paper | 2022 | The cave salamander Proteus anguinus in captivity in Moulis, France for the scientific research |
| Barzaghi, B., Ficetola, F.G., Mauri, E., Restaino, M., Lombardi, B. and Manenti, R. | Conference Paper | 2022 | Preliminary study on differences characterizes the populations of olm (Proteus anguinus) in cave and those found in epigean environment |
| Recknagel, H., Zakšek, V., Delić, T., Gorički, S. and Trontelj, P. | Journal Article | 2023 | Multiple transitions between realms shape relict lineages of Proteus cave salamanders |
| Kostanjsek, R., Zaksek, V., Bizjak-Mali, L. and Trontelj, P. | Book Section | 2023 | Chapter 13. The olm (Proteus anguinus), a flagship groundwater species |
| Lewarne, B. and Allain, S.J.R. | Journal Article | 2023 | Attempted predation of a cave olm Proteus anguinus by a dice water snake Natrix tessellata, in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Barzaghi, B. | Thesis | 2023 | Between light and darkness: The round-trip of surface and subterranean animals |