Proteus anguinus (Human Fish)

The Slovenian cave salamander Proteus anguinus is a tailed amphibian which can growup to 30 cm in length. It lives in subterranean waters of the Dinaric karst from Slovenia to Herzegovina. It is extremely well adapted to its natural habitat.
Its skin is colourless, it breathes with gills, although it also has and uses lungs. Its slightly outlined eyes at the beginning are gradually entirely covered with skin, for in the cave environment characterized by complete darkness there are other
sense-organs that count. Its front legs have three and its hind legs only two fingers each. It breeds by laying eggs and in exceptional cases by giving birth to live youngs.The Proteus anguinus is an endemic species of the Dinaric karst and
Europe's only real cave amphibian. It is a remnant of the fauna of the past-a living fossil-and therefore one of the treasures of our natural heritage. Although it has been a subject of research for almost 200 years, it still keeps a number of secrets.