The Black Olm

The black olm or the black proteus, the mysterious relative of the white olm, is endemic only to the underground world of Črnomelj. The black olm lived here for millions of years, before the formation of the karst terrain. Because of its black body and red gills, the black olm resembles the Krampus (parkelj), therefore its scientific name is Proteus anguinus parkelj. The black olm can be observed in the research center by the Jelševniščica Spring, where there is also a visitor center.

The discovery of the black olm

The unexpected discovery occurred in 1986. At the pumping attempt of the Dobličica spring, four wriggling animals of unknown origin were spotted in the emptied river basin by employees of the ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute and the Geological Survey. They managed to catch one and examined it closely, assessing that it might be a new species of olm. Only when it was also found at the Jelševnica Spring in 1990 were the biologists Boris Sket and Jan W. Artzen finally able to scientifically describe the black olm in 1994. The black olm received its scientific name Proteus anguinus parkelj.

The black olm belongs to the family Proteidae. Some call it proteus or cave salamander. It is an aquatic amphibian and the largest cave animal. Due to its pigmentation, the black olm is especially interesting. The black olm lives only in the shallow karst region of Bela Krajina, in an area covering approximately 10 km2. The black olm is native to the underworld of Bela krajina, meaning it lives only here. Even though it does not show, the black olm is a cave animal. It surfaces in karst springs at night to feed on smaller crustaceans and snails. The extent to which their habitat reaches the underwater flows, also into the massive Poljanska Gora, is not known.

The black olm is particularly endangered

Due to its specific evolutionary adjustments, the species has great scientific and research significance. Living conditions in caves are different from the ones above ground: the absence of light, modest food supply, constant temperatures, etc. have an important influence on the adjustment of cave animals. These species usually don't have any pigment in their skin, which makes them more or less translucent. The eyes are vestigial organs, several other senses of these species, however, are extremely heightened, which helps them orientate in the dark and detect their prey. With its well-functioning eyes and pigmented skin, the black olm stands out from other cave animals.

It is estimated that the olm population in Slovenia decreased, however the number is uncertain. The number of observed specimens in well-known and often visited locations decreased. The estimated population status is hard to define since the underground habitat of the black olm is for humans inaccessible. To estimate the black olm population special DNA analyses were made. The analysis showed that the black olm population is between 100 and 1000 adult specimens.
The black olm is particularly endangered. The reason for the low population lies in several pollution sources, mainly its difficult control (illegal buildings, landfills, biogas plants, intensive agriculture, and viticulture).

Black Olm Info Center

The info center located in the Zupančič homestead has been founded with the desire to inform people about the meaning of keeping our environment clean. The center opened in the framework of The Black Olm project to inform the public about the ecological sensitivity of the area populated by this extremely endangered cave species unique to this area. For individual visitors and school groups, this is often the first point of contact when it comes to obtaining information about the black olm and the cave environment. The info center also organizes various activities with one common goal – preserving clean nature.