# Olm (*Proteus anguinus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/olm  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The olm (Proteus anguinus) is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts subgroup, belonging to the order Caudata and the family Proteidae. It is a small, aquatic animal with an adult body mass of 17 g and a body length of up to 25 cm. The olm is an invertivore whose main foods are arthropods, and its activity pattern is cathemeral.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 17 g |
| Length | up to 25 cm |
| Lifespan | up to 12 years |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | cave |
| Young per litter or clutch | 70 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Amphibia
- order: Caudata
- family: Proteidae
- genus: Proteus
- species: *Proteus anguinus* Laurenti, 1768

Synonyms: *Apneumona anguina*, *Caledon anguinus*, *Hypochthon anguinus*, *Hypochthon carrarae*, *Hypochthon freyeri*, *Hypochthon haidingeri*, *Hypochthon laurentii*, *Hypochthon schreibersii*, *Hypochthon xanthostictus*, *Hypochthon zoisii*, *Phanerobranchus platyrhynchus*, *Proteus anguinus anguinus*, *Proteus anguinus carrarae*, *Proteus anguinus freyeri*, *Proteus anguinus parkelj*, *Proteus anguinus zoisii*, *Proteus carrarae*, *Proteus schreibersii*, *Proteus xanthostictus*, *Proteus zoisii*, *Siren anguina*, *Siren anguina*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the olm?

The olm is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts subgroup, classified in the order Caudata and the family Proteidae.

### How big is the olm?

The olm is a small amphibian with an adult body mass of 17 g and a body length of up to 25 cm.

### What does the olm eat?

The olm eats arthropods. It is an invertivore and a carnivore by trophic level.

### Is the olm endangered?

The olm is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does the olm live?

The olm lives up to 12 years.

### How many eggs does the olm lay?

The olm lays 70 eggs per clutch, and its development includes a larval stage.

### Who named the olm?

The olm, Proteus anguinus, was named by Laurenti, 1768.

### What are other names for the olm?

Other English names for the olm are Proteus, European olm, Stična’s olm and Cave salamander.

## Sources

- [AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5), CC BY 4.0, v1. Oliveira, B.F., São-Pedro, V.A., Santos-Barrera, G., Penone, C. & Costa, G.C. (2017) AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits. Scientific Data 4: 170123. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.123. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Olm (Proteus anguinus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/olm