The deepest finding of an olm (Proteus anguinus): Zagorska peć, Ogulin, Croatia

Abstract

During the field work in Zagorska peć cave in Croatia, the olm, Proteus anguinus Laurenti, 1768 was observed in a siphon at depth of 113 m. This was not only the first time that this troglobiotic amphibian was recorded at such depths but also the first time that its research was done by cave-divers in its natural environment, at depths greater than 50 m. As such research is dangerous and difficult there was no previous data on the vertical distribution of the olm in the cave system. Further in situ research will provide valuable insight into species’ environmental preferences and behaviour.

Key words: deep dive, cave system, subterranean environment, the olm, vertical distribution.

Najgloblja najdba močerila (Proteus anguinus): Zagorska peć, Ogulin, Hrvaška

Močerila, Proteus anguinus Laurenti, 1768, smo med terenskim delom našli v sifonu jame Zagorska peć (Hrvaška), na globini 113 m. Poleg izjemne globine najdbe želimo poudariti, da gre za prvi primer opazovanja te jamske dvoživke v naravnem okolju, ki so ga jamski potapljači izvedli globlje od 50 m. Ker so tovrstni potopi nevarni in težavni, podatkov o vertikalni razporeditvi močerila v jamskih sistemih doslej še ni bilo. Nadaljnje raziskave in situ lahko prispevajo k boljšemu poznavanju močerilovih prednostnih okolij in vedenja.

Ključne besede: globoki potop, jamski sistem, podzemlje, močeril, vertikalna razporeditev.