Animals living in the Caves and Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) habitat

A subterranean habitat often brings to mind pictures of rocky caves barren of animal life. Caves are environments where no light penetrates. However, they possess vibrant habitats where animals have developed highly sophisticated senses for living without light.

Bats belong to a group known as Trogloxenes, animals that live part of the time in caves. During the day, bats typically attach to the cave ceiling to rest. The twilight hours bring an abundance of activity as thousands of bats fly in search of food. The existence of a nearby cave is often indicative of the lack of flying pests, particularly mosquitoes.

Troglobites are a group of species that developed for living entirely underground. This includes invertebrates such as cave crickets, termites and the harvestman. They have well-developed antennae for the sense of smell and touch. The blind salamander also lives in the dark subterranean habitat. Like many cave-dwelling animals, the salamanders lack pigmented skin.

Animals that are found living inside caves or outside are called Troglophiles. This would include many types of spiders and millipedes. The brown spider can weave an elaborate set of webs to capture cave insects or not live in the subterranean habitat any time during the life cycle.

The types of animals living in caves are generally small invertebrate species and few larger animals. It is an isolated environment. Each species has developed to living in only one cave. It is a main reason cave habitats need to be preserved.


Bats

Negros naked-backed fruit bat
Halcyon horseshoe bat
Pacific sheath-tailed bat
Cape horseshoe bat
Lesser dawn bat
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat
Long-tailed house bat
Darling's horseshoe bat
Decken's horseshoe bat
Dent's horseshoe bat
Eloquent horseshoe bat
Aba roundleaf bat
Rüppell's horseshoe bat
Sundevall's roundleaf bat
Guinean horseshoe bat
Short-tailed roundleaf bat
Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat
Lander's horseshoe bat
Hildegarde's tomb bat
Maclaud's horseshoe bat
Jones's roundleaf bat
Bulmer's fruit bat
Naked-rumped tomb bat
Forest horseshoe bat
Indian roundleaf bat
Patrizi's trident leaf-nosed bat
Persian trident bat
Bushveld horseshoe bat
Aellen's roundleaf bat
Trident bat
Swinny's horseshoe bat
Ethiopian large-eared roundleaf bat
Asian barbastelle
Lesser mouse-tailed bat
Noack's roundleaf bat
Bare-backed rousette
Schneider's leaf-nosed bat
Comoro rousette
Salim ali's fruit bat
Heart-nosed bat
Australian false vampire bat
Ansorge's free-tailed bat
Lesser long-fingered bat
Gland-tailed free-tailed bat
Greater long-fingered bat
Percival's trident bat
Natal free-tailed bat
Seychelles sheath-tailed bat
Pallid large-footed myotis
African sheath-tailed bat
Morris's bat
Hog-nosed bat
Cape hairy bat
Long-tailed fruit bat
Egyptian slit-faced bat
Wroughton's free-tailed bat
Canary big-eared bat
Blasius's horseshoe bat
Lesser horseshoe bat
Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat

Rodents

Cape mole rat
Silvery mole rat
Naked mole rat
Namaqua dune mole rat
Cape dune mole rat
Ghana mole rat
Bocage's mole rat
Damara mole rat
Nigerian mole rat
African mole rat
Ochre mole rat


Read more at the list of biomes of the world...
Contact Us | ©2011 TheWebsiteOfEverything.com | Animals living in the Caves and Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic)