olm

Everyday

1. An olm is a pale, blind salamander (an amphibian) that lives in dark underground cave waters in southern Europe, especially Slovenia and Croatia. tree →
2. Olms are pinkish-white, with tiny legs and red feathery gills, and can live for many decades without much food. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, the olm is an example of adaptation to darkness: it has no working eyes and finds food using smell, hearing and electricity sense. Local people once thought olms were baby dragons washed out of caves. Phrases: «the olm», «cave salamander».

Examples

• The olm lives in dark caves and has no eyes. tree →
• Olms can survive for years without eating. tree →
• Its pink colour earned the olm the nickname «human fish». tree →
• People once believed olms were baby dragons. tree →
• We watched a video of an olm swimming in a cave pool. tree →
• The olm breathes using feathery red gills. tree →

Note

Countable noun; starts with a vowel so «an olm». Pronounced to rhyme with «holm» (ohlm). It is a rare word, also called «proteus». It is an amphibian, not a fish or a lizard.