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Glite Dictionary
Proteus anguinus

Proteus anguinus

9.9
A blind European cave salamander that keeps external gills and lives in dark water
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Proteus anguinus
  • Unlike most salamanders, Proteus anguinus retains its gills throughout its life.

Examples

  • The Proteus anguinus is uniquely adapted to life in the pitch-black caves of the Balkans.

  • Scientists study Proteus anguinus to learn about evolution in isolated environments.

  • The Proteus anguinus is often found in the caves of Slovenia.

  • Did you know that the Proteus anguinus can live for over 100 years?

  • The Proteus anguinus is a fascinating creature known for its ability to thrive in total darkness.

  • Scientists have discovered that the Proteus anguinus can survive in caves for many decades.

  • With its permanent external gills, the Proteus anguinus is well adapted to its underground aquatic habitat.

Synonyms

olm
vsProteus anguinus
  • UK
1 9.9

A blind salamander that lives underwater in caves and keeps its gills

is the scientific name used in formal or scientific contexts

Surface Forms

Proteus anguinus singular
Proteus anguinus plural

Morphology

Proteus + anguinus

This is a scientific Latin binomial functioning as a proper name for a species (the olm). Even if a learner knows 'Proteus' as a genus, the detailed biological meaning (aquatic cave salamander with permanent external gills adapted to darkness) is not derivable from the parts, and 'anguinus' is not an English lexical item. As a language learning item it behaves like an arbitrary label rather than a compositional phrase, so it is opaque to B1 learners.

Etymology

Proteus anguinus may get its name from the old sea-god Proteus, who could 'change shape', because the animal looks strange and different from other salamanders. The second part, anguinus, comes from a word for 'snake' and points to its long, thin body, so the name fits this pale, cave-living salamander.