Nature is So Fascinating

by Powderjaggy

The Olm

Photo credit: Julien Renoult

"Hello, class. I'm afraid I'll need to keep the lights off today. Our guest is very sensitive to light. That's also why I have covered his tank with this dark blanket. But if you'd like to see what he looks like, you may line up at the front and take turns peeking underneath. Please remember not to tap on the glass.

"Don't worry, he may be a little strange-looking, but he's not dangerous at all. He is a type of salamander called an olm. The earliest ponies to write about olms thought they might have been baby dragons. Ponies... didn't know very much about dragons back then.

"As you know, a frog starts their life as a tadpole that lives and breathes in the water. Other amphibians are usually the same way. As they grow older, they lose their gills and become able to spend time on land. However, our olm friend does things a bit differently. Did you see the small red frills on either side of his head? Those are his gills. He still has them even though he's fully grown, and he'll live his whole life underwater. There are a few other salamanders that do this—for example, there's one called the axolotl.

"You won't find olms in the lakes and ponds around here though. The waters they live in are in caves underground. Caves are dark and scary places to ponies... at least to ponies like me. It's so hard to see where you're going, you might stumble into a solid wall or fall into a terrifyingly deep pit! Oh, I know, I can fly. But it's sometimes hard to remember when you're paralyzed with fright!

"Caves, however, are good places to meet lots of fascinating creatures. When Pinkie told me that Maud had come across some unusual animals while exploring a cave, I was ready to face my fears for the chance to see them myself. I got a lot of help from Twilight on this trip. She used her magic to light our way, and even figured out the right brightness and color of light to use so we wouldn't disturb the cave-dwelling critters. After our new olm friend agreed to make an appearance for you in class, Twilight was also the one who helped me move him into this tank and bring him here without hurting or scaring him.

"You may have noticed that you cannot see his eyes at all. Because he spends his entire life in darkness, he doesn't need eyes very much, so his eyes are covered up by skin. He can still use them to detect light, which he prefers to stay away from. To find his friends and his food, he uses his great senses of smell and hearing.

"Olms feed on smaller animals that live in cave waters, like little shrimps and snails. But their prey cannot always be found in great numbers, so they can go for ten years without food if they have to. Olms don't move around a whole lot, either. Explorers have recorded some staying in the same spot where they were last seen seven years ago. Coming to this classroom might be the farthest an olm has ever traveled!

"That might not sound like a very exciting life to you, but olms can live for a long time. They can live to be over 50 years old, and maybe even over 100! But I think we've given our guest here more than enough excitement to last even his lifetime. I need to go get Twilight so we can take him back home. Have a lovely day, everycreature, and stay kind to each other."

Author's Note:

The olm (Proteus anguinus) is found in limestone caves of Central and Southeastern Europe. One population in Slovenia is black in color instead of white, has eyes that are visible externally, and can be found in waters closer to the surface.

Comments

[Nitro Indigo]

I thought olms were from South America for some reason.

Also, I like how this chapter has more backstory than usual.