Look: 3D scans reveal how cave-dwelling “baby dragons” hunt in the dark

Formally known as Proteus anguinus, the elusive creatures once intrigued the likes of Charles Darwin and other early naturalists.

They were once thought to be the offspring of dragons — and are still sometimes referred to as such.

They compared the anatomy of olms to their salamander cousins, axolotls, which live above ground and have the ability to see.

And compared to axolotls, olms’ olfactory cavities are much longer and shaped like tubes.

That likely enables them to have a more sensitive sense of smell.

Plentiful muscles around the olm’s upper and lower jaw likely contribute to their status as a predator, too.

The researchers say visualizing this region in 3D could help scientists better explain how olms adapted to be hunters.

The olm “still keeps some of its secrets,” the researchers write.

But they made their models publicly available in the hopes that other scientists might use them to further research the cave dweller’s peculiar life.