Proteus for scientists and tourists: a history of its 19th century collection and captivity

• Trevor Shaw ^[1]
  1. [1] Karst Research Institute
• Localización: Endins: publicació d'espeleologia, ISSN-e 2386-7299, ISSN 0211-2515, Nº. 28, 2005, págs. 51-60
• Idioma: catalán
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • català

    L’amfibi cavernícola Proteus anguinus, descrit per primera vegada el 1768, i probablement representat en temps tan remots com el segle XI, era conegut el 1800 per nombrosos savis i erudits de l’època. Des de 1814, quan aquests animals ja havian estat trobats a diverses coves de la regió de Karst (Kras en llengua eslovena), varen ser venuts a mercats, posades i fondes de la població de Postojna i fins i tot, de vegades, a l’exterior de la cova; les guies de viatgers feien referència a la seva disponibilitat. L’article documenta aquests fets i prova d’esbrinar que va ser d’aquells animals. Alguns varen ser donats a zoològics; altres varen ser criats dins aquaris per naturalistes aficionats; altres varen acabar a laboratoris de Biologia; i uns pocs varen ser menjats. Un va ser ofert a Darwin com a obsequi.

  • English

    The cave-dwelling amphibian Proteus anguinus, first described in 1768, and possibly pictured as early as the 11th century, was by 1800 known to many scholars.

    From 1814 when the animals were more widely found, they were sold in markets, at inns in Postojna and sometimes outside the cave there; and guidebooks drew attention to their availability. The paper documents all this and examines what happened to the animals. Some were given to zoos; others were kept by amateur naturalists;

    some went to laboratories; and a few were eaten. One was offered to Darwin.