One of the longest-standing mysteries in European herpetology has finally been resolved. A new study published in Amphibia–Reptilia reveals that the olm (Proteus anguinus), one of Europe’s most iconic subterranean animals, is not a single widespread species. Instead, it represents nine distinct species, hidden within the underground waters of the Dinaric Karst.
The international study was co-authored by Dr Dušan Jelić of BIOTA, who has spent nearly two decades exploring the subterranean waters of the Dinaric Karst and studying Proteus populations, including through demanding cave-diving expeditions.
