Slovenia: Rare baby dragons go on display in aquarium at Postojna Cave

Three rare aquatic creatures known as baby dragons would be displayed in a subterranean aquarium at Slovenia's Postojna Cave, where they hatched in 2016. A young olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) an aquatic salamander, with pale pink skin, no eyesight, a long thin body, and four legs that can survive for up to 100 years long-term starvation, habitat loss, is being released in a cave aquarium for visitors.  A native of the southern European Karst region, these creatures have been born out of 64 eggs that were hatched in 2016 as 21 young olms came to life in the nation’s popular tourists' attraction.  

According to a press release on Europe’s Park Postojnska Jama cave website, an underground train would commute over 30 visitors per day through the 24-kilometer-long cave system to visit ancient underwater predators bred once in a decade. While the ‘Vivarium’ inhibits over 150 animal species the “baby dragon” is among the most popular creatures bred in the makeshift laboratory in Postojna Cave. The cave has been excited to present three out of the 21 baby olms to the visitors, the world-famous 'dragon's offspring', which the authorities monitoring the species have kept a close eye on since 2016, the Postojna cave said in a statement.  

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Female 'Gollum-like' Olm laid eggs

Further, the Vivarium described the olms as having the “length of 25 to 30 centimeters, the largest among cave-dwelling animals and the only vertebrate in Europe strictly bound to cave habitats,” on the website. It added that the animals “are completely adapted to life in the dark. It feeds on crustaceans, worms, snails, and other aquatic invertebrates.” Describing its survival years, the cave explained,” Olms have a lifespan of up to one hundred years and can go without food for several years. In 2016, one of Postojna Cave's olms laid eggs, which hatched sometime later, capturing the attention of people all around the world.” 

In 2016, Scientists in the Central European country had announced that a female olm — a Gollum-like and the lizard-sized amphibian living in an aquarium in the country’s biggest cave — has laid eggs. Also known as the “human fish” for its skin-like colour, researchers described the unique creature as the first example of observed out-of-lab breeding of the species. The eggs had hatched in 100 days, according to reports.  

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(Photos: Park Postojna Jama Website) (Inputs from agency)