|
There are life forms, such as cavefish, that are specially adapted to life inside a cave. Some insects, salamanders, frogs and snakes prefer life in a cave but can also live outside. Others animals like bats, bears, etc, use caves to shelter in. |
There are caves all over the planet, but only a few have been explored. These dark spaces are sheltered from the weather and provide a steady temperature, making them ideal homes for an enormous diversity of life.
Animals that are adapted to live in caves are known as troglofauna. Some – such as bats, bears and swiftlets – use caves on a temporary basis. Others reside there permanently, living out their entire life cycles in the dark – but many have evolved special abilities to help them survive in their food- and light-limited habitats.
Some animals use caves as part-time homes. Bats and swiftlets use them to roost during the day and night respectively. In some caves there can be as many as 20 million bats in residence. By foraging outside of caves for insects and fruits, part-time cave residents provide for those that never leave.
Like other habitats, caves have their own food chain. The detritivores rely on bat faeces and are consumed by the next level of predators, such as spiders and pseudoscorpions. Centipedes and cave boas are often the top predators in these underground environments. The snakes are specially adapted to be able to catch swiftlet and bats as they fly past.
Credit: Natural History Museum
Picture Credit : Google
