The human fish can live to nearly 60 years of age

In 1689, the great ethnographer Janez Valvasor wrote about baby dragons living in Slovenia. These baby dragons are now known to us as the Olm, or Proteus, or človeška ribica – the human fish. The small, blind, salamander-like creature lives in subterranean waters of the Karst region. It has three »fingers« but two toes and can live to nearly 60 years of age. There is also a black proteus, which was discovered in 1986, near Črnomelj. If you ever want to see one, just head to the caves of Postojna, or (if you can find one) on the back of the now abandoned tolar coins.