In what can only be described as a big mood, one European Cave Salamander didn’t move for seven years.
According to the Independent, divers have been documenting the movements of a species of Salamander known as the olm or proteus. These particular Salamander live in caves and have one of the longest lifespans of any amphibian, reaching an average age of about 70 but with the potential to live over 100s of years.
The study was conducted in the Herzegovinian caves and measured the olm’s movements to be less than 10 meters per individual over a decade. One of the olms studied was found to have not moved at all for seven of the years, and yes: it was still alive.
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It turns out these small white salamanders can live without food for years, have no predators, and only really move to mate once every 12.5 years, which explains their sedentary lives.
Want some more science that verges on fiction in your life? Check out this synthetic spider web silk, how lead can be stronger than steel, or this lake on Mars which once held salty, mineral-filled water.
Photo of olm courtesy of Javier Ábalos, shared under Creative Commons licence.
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Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Source: IGN.com European Cave Salamander Spent 7 Years Completely Motionless