The Olm, or Proteus ("Proteus anguinus") is an amphibian, native to the underground waters of the Dinaric karst that flow through the Soča river basin near Trieste in Italy, through to southern Slovenia, southwestern Croatia, and Herzegovina. It is the only species in the genus "Proteus", the only European species of the family Proteidae, and the only European cave-dwelling chordate. It is also called the human fish or humanfish, because of its human-like skin (translated literally from Slovenian: "Človeška ribica" and Croatian: "Čovječja ribica"), Cave Salamander, or White Salamander.