Lights out
Tesarova et. al, GigaScience via YouTube
Formally known as Proteus anguinus, the elusive creatures once intrigued the likes of Charles Darwin and other early naturalists.
That’s why one research team scanned the bodies of olms and created 3D models to get a clearer view of their sensory organs.
Tesarova et. al, GigaScience via YouTube
The researchers found that olm eyes begin to develop as larvae, just like axolotls.
Tesarova et. al, GigaScience via YouTube
The salamanders use their noses, as well as other discrete senses, to seek out prey like snails and insects.
Tesarova et. al, GigaScience via YouTube
The olm “still keeps some of its secrets,” the researchers write.