Cave Biology

[zenas]

Experts on Cave Biology, able to identify cave species are less than 100 worldwide. One of them is Dr. Kaloust Paragamian from the Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. More info about the institute you can read to http://www.caves.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1446

I start this topic to post cave animal's photos from the institute but i hope more people to join and contribute with their own photos too. I'm not an expert on cave biology so in case you have questions concerning these photos please contact directly Dr. Paragamian: ( e-mail: hisr@otenet.gr and paragam@otenet.gr )

[zenas]

Lesser mouse-eared bat [Myotis blythii (Tomes, 1857)]
Distribution: Palaearctic; southern Europe and Asia east to the Himalayas
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Schreiber’s bat [Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817)]
Distribution: present in most Old Worls tropical and subtropical regions, from southern
Eurasia to Africa, Australia, and the Solomon Islands.
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Mehely’s horseshoe bat [Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901]
Distribution: North Africa and southern Europe through Asia Minor
to Transcaucasia and western Iran.
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Troglobitic snail [Lindbergia pseudoillyrica Riedel, 1960]
Distribution: Crete Island (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Cave spider [Minotauria attemsi Kulczynski, 1903]
Distribution: Crete Island (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Scorpion [Euscorpius carpathicus (Linnaeus, 1763)]
Distribution: Africa (Egypt, Libya, Madeira, Tunisia), Asia (Turkey),
Europe (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Czech Republic, Greece, France, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Malta,
Monaco, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain (including Baleares),
Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia).
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Long-legged cave cricket [Dolichopoda paraskevi Boudou-Saltet, 1973]
Distribution: Crete Island (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Cave cricket [Discoptila lindbergi Chopard, 1957]
Distribution: Crete Island (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Troglobitic milliped [Serradium sbordonii Strasser, 1976]
Distribution: Crete (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Troglobitic woodlouse [Schizidium perplexum (Vandel, 1958)]
Distribution: Crete (Greece)
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[zenas]

Many-plumed moth Moth [Alucita hexadactyla Linnaeus, 1758]
Distribution: Almost worldwide
(c) Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research

[bigalpha]

wow, awesome pictures! How'd you like to come across one of them scorpions while pushing a really tight passageway?

[zenas]

i guess the shock would be bigger for the scorpion, like once when i came face-to-face with a small snake :)

[Dave Bunnell]

As long as we are talking biology, I'm hoping someone can tell me (and the Western Cave conservancy, which just bought the cave) what this strange thing growing from the floor of Rippled Cave is. It has been there for many years and no one has a clue. The surface above the cave is mixed pine forest and chapparal, in Amador County California.



Dave