What is this animal and why is it called “dragon cub”
The explorer Johann Weichard von Walvasor first described this animal in 1689. A well-known Slovenian polymath believed that he saw a “dragon cub”, because this creature really looked like a mythical one. Moreover, local folklore explained that dragons lived under the planet’s crust, and these strange creatures emerged to the surface of the earth during heavy rains.
The European Proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander that can only be found in the Balkans, namely in the underground cave systems of the Adriatic coast in northeastern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and northern parts of Montenegro.
This animal is only 20 cm long, a bit like a pale pink snake with thin legs. These creatures have a characteristic pale coloration because they spend their entire lives in dark caves where the pigmentation would go unnoticed.
This is what a European Proteus looks like (Photo: Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock.com)
What “superpowers” do these creatures have?
Due to living in the dark, the Proteus have underdeveloped eyes, are covered with skin and are virtually blind. However, some photoreceptors have been preserved.
To compensate for this extremely poor vision, the Proteus have a keen sense of smell and hearing. They are armed with highly sensitive receptors that they use to sniff out prey such as grubs, shrimp, beetles, and small snails. But even if there is no food, then this is not a problem for them, because they are able not to eat for years.
They can also detect electric fields to navigate dark caves.
Since they are not preyed upon by predators, they manage to lead an incredibly lazy lifestyle. In 2020, scientists observed 26 proteas and found that they average only 5 meters per year.
Proteas can live up to 100 years, and the average age is 68.5 years.
Unfortunately, the Proteus face a number of existential threats. This species is considered vulnerable to extinction and its populations are declining due to water pollution, destruction of their habitat and other changes caused by mankind.
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2023-07-16 18:01:04
