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Do bears live in caves? What about mountain lions?
Snakes... Bats... Bears?!? Ahhhhhhh!
The number and variety of animals living in caves is very small compared to the animal life on the surface. A number of cave animals are on the endangered species list. The Kentucky cave shrimp is an endangered species found nowhere else in the world but in the caves around Mammoth Cave National Park. The cave shrimp is threatened by groundwater pollution. Three Kentucky cave bat species, the Gray Bat, the Indiana Bat and the Big Eared Bat, are also listed as endangered. Their populations have declined as a result of human disturbance and habitat destruction.
Cave animals fit into three categories (trogloxenes, troglophiles, troglobites) based on the amount of time they actually spend in the cave.
Trogloxenes: from the Greek words "troglos" (cave) and "xenos" (guest). These animals are temporary cave residents, which freely move in and out of the cave. These cave visitors never complete their entire life cycle in the cave. Bats are usually the first trogloxenes that come to mind. Some animals, such as bears, prefer the constant temperature of caves for hibernation and to bear their young. Skunks, raccoons, pack rats, moths, frogs, beetles, some birds and people are more examples of trogloxenes. Many of these animals use the entrance areas of caves to seek shelter from rain and cold weather. Since these animals are not dependent on the cave for their survival, they show no special adaptations to the cave environment.
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Bat Facts:
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A single little brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes in just one hour.
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Weighing less than a penny, the world's smallest bat is about the size of a bumblebee.
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Never disturb bats. If hibernating bats awaken, they use up stored food resources and can actually die.
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A colony of 150 big brown bats can protect local farmers from up to 18 million or more rootworms each summer.
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Giant flying foxes that live in Indonesia have wingspans of up to six feet.
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African heart-nosed bats can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of more than six feet.
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Woodrats are also called pack rats because they decorate their nests with colorful objects. They carry gum wrappers, soft drink tops, broken glass, discarded cans and other shiny things back to their nests. Sometimes pack rat homes look like junk piles.
Packrats live in places like caves, but go outside at dusk to hunt for berries, nuts and seeds. To find their way back into the cave they explore slowly, learning where it is safe to walk. They mark their trails with scent and memorize the route after crossing it many times.
Troglophiles: from the Greek words "troglos" (cave) and "phileo" (love). These cave loving animals can complete their life cycle in caves, but can also do so outside caves. This group includes cave crickets, earthworms, some beetles, some fish, salamanders and crayfish.
Cave Crickets may be found on the cave floor or hiding in cracks on the walls and ceiling. They are pale brown and have smaller eyes than crickets that live on the surface.
Some salamanders live near cave entrances. They may crawl out to hunt for worms and insects when they are hungry. These salamanders see well and have a range of colorful skin pigments.
Troglobites: from the Greek words "troglos" (cave) and "bios" (life). They are true cave dwellers, which spend their entire lives in the cave. Living permanently in the dark zone, these species are found only in caves and cannot survive outside the caves.
Troglobites have developed special adaptations to help them survive in caves. Since cave food sources are meager, the sensory organs and physical resources of troglobites are devoted to finding food. Sensory organs and physical adaptations that are beneficial to the animals' survival are enhanced. Sensory organs that are not necessary have degenerated.
Most troglobites are white to pinkish in color. They lack pigment (color) because they have no need for protection from the sun's rays or for camouflage to hide them from predators. Many have no eyes or eyes that are poorly developed. Eyes are not necessary because of the lack of light. It takes energy to maintain eyes. Troglobites cannot afford to waste energy on unnecessary sensory organs.
What the troglobites have lost, they make up for with longer legs and antennae and with adaptations that enable them to go for long periods of time with little food. Blind cave fish also have vibration receptors on their head and sides to detect movements in the water and to guide them to prey. Animals that have completely adapted to cave life include: cave fish, cave crayfish, cave shrimp, isopods, amphipods, millipedes, some cave salamanders and insects.
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