The most recognizable animal of the Dinaric underworld is certainly the blind cave salamander or proteus. However, it's biology and ecology are still understudied, mainly due to the inaccessibility of its natural environment. Regarding well recognized importance of the skin microbiota for the health and well-being of the host in other vertebrates, we decided to explore the skin microorganisms of the proteus. The profile of microbial groups on the skin was determined with metagenomic analysis of skin and compared with the water sample. The prevailing taxa found in all skin samples were: Sphingomonadaceae, Bradyrhizobiaceae, Microbacterium, Burkholderiaceae and Flavobacteriaceae. These originate from surrounding water and most likely represent the normal skin microbiota of the proteus. Comparison of skin bacteriomes of the same individual in two consecutive years showed both the preservation of the dominant taxa and the temporal dynamics of a small part of the skin bacteria. Significant shift in skin bacteriome composition was observed in the sample of black subspecies, in which normal bacteriome was almost completely replaced by enterobacteria and aeromonads. The observed presence of normal skin bacteriome in proteus has not been known by now. This knowledge has a significat potential in conservation of this endangered amphibian and in providing suitable conditions for keeping these animals in captivity for scientific, exhibiton or revitalization purposes.
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