Throughout history, sailors have interpreted creatures living in the oceans as mermaids, perhaps because of sunstroke, perhaps because of the rum they drink. Here's what you need to know about the Beluga whale and Olm salamander behind the mermaid legends;
Beluga Whale
Belugas, our first animal, which is the source of mermaid legends, are also called white whales, and their unusual color makes them the most easily distinguishable whale among all whales. Although hatchlings of Beluga whales are born Gray or brown, they turn white when sexually mature around the age of five.
White whales range in length from 4 to 6 meters, relatively quite small compared to other whale species. They have a rounded forehead and no dorsal fins.
Social behavior and general status of their generation
These fish often live together in small groups known as pods. They are social animals and polyphonic communicators and use a diversified language consisting of clicks, whistles and clans. Belugas can also mimic various other sounds.
These whales are quite common in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, spreading throughout the Arctic. The Arctic beluga whale migrates southward in large flocks when the sea freezes. Some of these fish that fall into the trap of Arctic glaciers die and become prey for polar bears, killer whales and Arctic people. In addition, these fish are native people in the North and St. It is often fished by some fishermen, such as the Gulf of Lawrence, and therefore its populations are steadily declining.
Beluga whales use crustaceans, worms, and rare species as food sources. White whales are also related to the toothed (unicorn) whale, known as the sea rhino or narval.
Apart from all this information, belugas lead many legends. The main ones are many mermaid stories. The hind legs of these whales, which are thought to have evolved from land mammals, eventually became vestigial and took the form they now have.
Olm (Cave Salamander)
Known as the OLM or cave salamander (Proteus anguinus), this interesting creature is a cave-dwelling species found only in Europe and is an aquatic salamander belonging to the family Proteidae. Unlike most amphibians, it lives entirely in water; it eats underwater, sleeps, mating and reproducing here. Olm salamander is a species found in the Dinaric Alps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, endemic to waters flowing underground along the vast limestone bedrock of the Soča River Basin karst near Trieste in Central and southeastern Europe (especially southern Slovenia). It is found in many regions of Italy, southwestern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cave salamanders are also referred to by locals as “human fish” or “white salamanders” due to their skin color similar to humans. It is also known as močeril in Slovenia.
Discovery Of Cave Salamander
It was first noticed in 1689 by the naturalist Valvasor, who was in charge of the area, that the groundwater had been found, which he examined after a heavy rain. The legends about these creatures, which have not yet been discovered until that moment, are endless and are also mentioned in many books.
Olms' eyes are not developed and we can say that they are almost blind, while their other senses (especially smell and hearing) are quite developed, in contrast. In addition, the cave salamander does not have any color pigment in its skin, and almost all of them have the same color.
It has three fingers on its forelegs and two fingers on its hind legs. It also has many similar characteristics to creatures such as some American and African salamanders, with larval structures and external Gill features designed in the same way as their cousins.
The OLM salamander is also the only species included in the genus Proteus, and the only species in the family Proteidae to be included in Europe.