The eggs laid by an olm, a unique aquatic salamander with underdeveloped eyes that render it blind, have finally started to hatch after four months. The eggs were laid in the Slovenian Postojna Cave, where the creatures - also referred to as "baby dragons" - have lived for millennia.
Of the 23 developed eggs, one hatched on May 30 and the other on June 1. Observing baby olms hatch is a rare and unique opportunity for science, which is why experts are watching closely.
"It is the end of one part of the story and the beginning of a whole new chapter: feeding and living without the egg," said Saso Weldt, who looks after and studies the olms at Postojna Cave.
Although nobody saw the first egg hatch, the event was captured on infrared (IR) camera.
"I was in the cave doing some other biological work," Weldt said. "Since we have all the eggs on an IR camera, we saw that one was missing. Then you rewind and suddenly you realize, something has happened."
The Postojna staff has been working closely with amphibian experts in order to ensure that the eggs are cared for properly.
Baby dragons are unique creatures that were noted by Charles Darwin in his 1859 book "On the Origin of Species," which cited the strange, sightless creatures as an example of natural selection.
"They're believed to be able to live 100 years or longer, and they can survive without food for up to 10 years," Weldt said. "They have transparent white skin that also covers their eyes, but they don't need to see. They have an incredible sense of smell and hearing and can detect detect light and electrical or magnetic fields."
Although the hatching of the olms is exciting, the hardest part has yet to come - now experts must care for the larva and ensure that they grow into healthy adults.
"The larva will soon need to be fed, as it does not live in its natural environment where it could feed on its own," the Postojna Cave team said. "We will also need to regularly, on a daily basis, change the water to avoid infection. And if there are several larvae, each of them will need to be in its own aquarium. We will have to set up a proper little nursery for each of them."
"And if all goes well, the baby dragons will grow into adults," they added. "Although they may not breathe fire, this will be the right time for the fireworks."
