📸 PhotoPhoto: Arne Hodalič · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Olm
Proteus anguinus (Olm · ホライモリ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its maximum body length of 30 cm is equal to the length of a 30 cm school ruler (Comparison).
- 💡 It takes 14–15 years to become an adult, which in human terms is like reaching adulthood around the 2nd or 3rd year of middle school in Korea (Comparison).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Olm is a nearly blind salamander living in caves along the Adriatic coast. It is listed as Vulnerable (VU, 2024) on the IUCN Red List.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its skin is pale but darkens when exposed to light, and it has 3 pink external gills. Its eyes are tiny.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
A carnivore, it feeds on woodlice, small crustaceans, and insect larvae. It breeds once every 12 years on average and reaches adulthood at 14–15 years of age, with females laying and guarding an average of 35 eggs (up to 70).
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List VU (2024) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18377/227229041
- • IUCN Red List category VU — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 4N3XG
- • iucnredlist.org — 227229041
- • wikidata.org — Q15856
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:P anguinus parkelj-head.jpg
- • animaldiversity.org — Proteus anguinus
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.