{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='See the endangered \u0026quot;human fish\u0026quot; in its natural habitat' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c552d8eafeecae16f549' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c552d8eafeecae16f549' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nSee the endangered \u0026quot;human fish\u0026quot; in its natural habitat\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eHave you ever seen an olm?Well, here it is. Looking like a pink snake with four small legs and two tiny red gills, the olm is an extremely rare creature that lives in subterranean waters.The blind salamander can be found at the Baredine...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eHave you ever seen an olm?\u003cbr/\u003eWell, here it is. \u003cbr/\u003eLooking like a pink snake with four small legs and two tiny red gills, the olm is an extremely rare creature that lives in subterranean waters.\u003cbr/\u003eThe blind salamander can be found at the Baredine cave, situated 6 kilometres north-east from Porec.\u003cbr/\u003eIt is the first speleological (cave) facility in Istria that has been made accessible for tourists. \u003cbr/\u003e50,000 people visit the cave every year. \u003cbr/\u003eIt is the only place in Croatia where visitors with neither caving-experience nor equipment may encounter an olm (Proteus anguinus).\u003cbr/\u003eThe subterranean lake where the olm lives is located 60 metres under the surface of the earth. \u003cbr/\u003eIn order to reach the lake, visitors climb down 221 steps and pass through five illuminated underground chambers. \u003cbr/\u003eTourists are accompanied by a guide who gives them all details on the cave and olms in Croatian, English, German and Italian. \u003cbr/\u003eThe olm is a tailed amphibian of the family Protheide. \u003cbr/\u003eThe animal can be found in subterranean waters along the Adriatic, from north-east Italy over Slovenia and Croatia to Monte Negro in the south. \u003cbr/\u003eIt is an interesting amphibian, says Damir Lukez, a guide in the Baredine cave.\u003cbr/\u003e\"This interesting amphibian lives in complete darkness. It is blind and has no eyes. Its body is pink, apart from two tiny red gills on its head. It has four legs. It feeds on micro-organisms and amphipods that live in subterranean habitat, such as Niphargus. It may grow up to 30 to 35 centimetres (11.8 - 13.8 inches approx.) in length and may live up to a hundred years,\" he says.\u003cbr/\u003eOlms live for so long due to their very slow metabolism. \u003cbr/\u003eMost of the time the amphibian is resting. \u003cbr/\u003eConsequently it uses very little energy and needs little food and oxygen. \u003cbr/\u003eOlms have long, snake-like bodies ending with a flat tail which serves as a fin when the olm moves. \u003cbr/\u003eBy its shape and movement, the olm slightly resembles to snakes, hence its Latin name anguinus (anguis = snake). \u003cbr/\u003eIn the Baredine cave it is protected by Virgin Mary, there is a stalagmite that resembles a statue of the Virgin, which guides gladly show to visitors. \u003cbr/\u003eThis rare animal and its environment leave strong impressions on tourists. \u003cbr/\u003e\"It was very impressive to find the olm here, to see it in a natural environment. It is amazing that it can live up to a hundred years down here. That it can live down here for such a long time. And also all the forms and shapes one can see here, with a little imagination one can see images. Very clear and vivid images. It was very impressive,\" he says.\u003cbr/\u003eSince the olm lives in complete darkness, its eyes are undeveloped and covered with skin. \u003cbr/\u003eIn order to survive in this habitat, the olm has sharpened its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing. \u003cbr/\u003eScientists believe that the olm may detect weak electric fields with the help of sensors in its head and that it uses earth's magnetic fields to orientate in the caves. \u003cbr/\u003eBecause of its skin colour and limbs that resemble to arms and legs, it is nicknamed a \"human fish\" by local population. \u003cbr/\u003eOlms have been found on 58 locations in Croatia. \u003cbr/\u003eThe scientists have divided them into three groups: Istria, Gorski Kotar and the region from the Krka River to Dubrovnik in the south. \u003cbr/\u003eEduard Kletecki, Head of the Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Croatian Natural History Museum, has been studying olms for years. \u003cbr/\u003eThe latest DNA analysis, says Eduard Kletecki, shows that there is a significant difference between the examples found in Istria and all the other ones.\u003cbr/\u003e\"There are certain differences in mitochondrial DNA of all populations, but most significant differences have been found between the Istrian and other examples. Consequently, we believe that the Istrian \"human fish\" could be something else. Whether a subspecies or an entirely new species - we are not sure yet. We will have to do additional research,\" he says.\u003cbr/\u003eThe olm is the only vertebrate in Europe, which is totally adapted to permanent living in subterranean environment. \u003cbr/\u003eUnlike other amphibians that come out to the surface, the olm feeds, sleeps and breeds exclusively under the water. \u003cbr/\u003eNormally amphibian's like frogs and toads begin life as tadpoles which live in water and breathe through the gills. \u003cbr/\u003eWhen they develop into adult animals and leave water environment, they begin to use respiratory system of lungs, like land animals. \u003cbr/\u003eHowever, during its entire life, the olm remains in water and breathes through the gills, even though it does have rudimentary lungs. \u003cbr/\u003eThis phenomenon is known as neoteny and is still not fully explained by the science. \u003cbr/\u003eAlthough it lives in complete darkness, the olm is not a helpless animal. \u003cbr/\u003eOn the contrary, it is a very capable predator and is located on the top of the trophic pyramid (food chain) in subterranean waters. \u003cbr/\u003eNo natural enemies are found there, but polluted water coming from the surface and reduction in level of the subterranean waters significantly jeopardise the olm's habitat. \u003cbr/\u003eKletecki says that during the last fifty years the scientists have found olms in only two sites in Istria.\u003cbr/\u003e\"In our opinion the endangered species is the one in Istria, because during the last fifty years it has been found on two sites only. We know that it could be found on other locations before. However, now there are only these two locations accessible to us.  Therefore, we believe that the olm there is most endangered and we have listed it as the high risk category, i.e. as \"critically endangered\" species,\" he says.\u003cbr/\u003eThe olm is listed in the group of \"critically endangered\" species in the \"Red Book of Amphibians and Reptiles of Croatia\". \u003cbr/\u003eCritically endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List for wild species.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eIstria, Croatia - May 22, 2010\u003cbr/\u003e1. Zoom into olm\u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide entrance to Baredine cave \u003cbr/\u003e3. Tilt down visitors entering cave \u003cbr/\u003e4. Wide of visitors in the cave \u003cbr/\u003e5. Tilt up from a subterranean lake to stalactites on the cave ceiling \u003cbr/\u003e6. Wide of guide and visitors at the lake with torch shining onto olm in background\u003cbr/\u003e7. Zoom out of olm \u003cbr/\u003e8. SOUNDBITE (Croatian) Damir Lukez, Guide in the Baredine cave:\u003cbr/\u003e\"This interesting amphibian lives in complete darkness. It is blind and has no eyes. Its body is pink, apart from two tiny red gills on its head. It has four legs. It feeds on micro-organisms and amphipods that live in subterranean habitat, such as Niphargus. It may grow up to 30 to 35 centimetres (11.8 - 13.8 inches approx.) in length and may live up to a hundred years.\"\u003cbr/\u003e9. Zoom into olm\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide of olm\u003cbr/\u003e11. Pan from the guide to a stalagmite that looks similar to the Virgin Mary\u003cbr/\u003e12. Close up of the stalagmite that looks similar to the Virgin Mary\u003cbr/\u003e13. SOUNDBITE: (German) Norbert Holfes, Tourist:\u003cbr/\u003e\"It was very impressive to find the olm here, to see it in a natural environment. It is amazing that it can live up to a hundred years down here. That it can live down here for such a long time. And also all the forms and shapes one can see here, with a little imagination one can see images. Very clear and vivid images. It was very impressive.\"\u003cbr/\u003e14. Various of olm\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eZagreb, Croatia - May 28, 2010\u003cbr/\u003e15. Wide of Eduard Kletecki looking at an olm in jar\u003cbr/\u003e16. Close up of olm in tube \u003cbr/\u003e17. Wide shot of Eduard Kletecki looking at olm in jar\u003cbr/\u003e18. Tilt down on olms in a tube\u003cbr/\u003e19. SOUNDBITE: (Croatian) Eduard Kletecki, Head of the Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Croatian Natural History Museum:\u003cbr/\u003e\"On one of the DNA segments we have discovered significant differences between olms we found in Istria and all other examples. There are certain differences in mitochondrial DNA of all populations, but most significant differences have been found between the Istrian and other examples. Consequently, we believe that the Istrian \"human fish\" could be something else. Whether a subspecies or an entirely new species - we are not sure yet. We will have to do additional research.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eIstria, Croatia - May 22, 2010\u003cbr/\u003e20. Various of olm \u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eZagreb, Croatia - May 28, 2010\u003cbr/\u003e21. SOUNDBITE: (Croatian) Eduard Kletecki, Head of the Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Croatian Natural History Museum:\u003cbr/\u003e\"In our opinion the endangered species is the one in Istria, because during the last fifty years it has been found on two sites only. We know that it could be found on other locations before. However, now there are only these two locations accessible to us. Therefore, we believe that the olm there is most endangered and we have listed it as the high risk category, i.e. as \"critically endangered\" species.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eIstria, Croatia - May 22, 2010\u003cbr/\u003e22. Pan through a subterranean chamber\u003cbr/\u003eThe Baredine cave is the only place in Croatia where tourists can see an olm in its natural habitat. \u003cbr/\u003eThe olm is a blind salamander with transparent skin that lives underground, hunts for its prey by smell and electrosensitivity and can survive without food for 10 years. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details 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