Hangmans Drop, Bats Cave, Inukshuk Cave
Trip Date: 2024-06-01
Hangmans Drop
Visited the boulder choke entrance down to the first level of the Hangmans Drop. Did not go down to the next level.
As usual, this cave lived up to it's alternative name of Deep Freeze. The air coming out of the cave was cold. There were bristletails, crane flies, spiders and cave crickets in the first part of the boulder choke.
The centipede was under a rock on the floor of the Hangmans' Drop chamber. I found 3 centipedes, but the other two very small centipedes. < 10mm.
Bats Cave
Visited the upper part of the entrance chamber. There were bristletails, crane flies, spiders and cave crickets in the first part of the entrance. Although parts of this chamber do get direct sunlight during parts of the day, the animals I found were in the twilight/low light areas within the chamber.
Things to look out for next time:
- The very tiny harvestman! It seems to disappear while I was looking at it. Maybe I need new glasses.
Inukshuk Cave
Visited the top two levels of the cave.
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MachiloidesObserver
peterswartDescription
In the boulder choke entrance. Mostly on vertical surfaces or on the ceiling.
Photos / Sounds
What
Table Mountain Cave Cricket (Spelaeiacris tabulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
All sizes in the entrance boulder choke down to first open chamber.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
peterswartDescription
Found under a rock in the large open chamber below the tree.
Ant. Articles: 20, 15 Leg pairs
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Daddylonglegs (Spermophora peninsulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
Not as many as I expected
Photos / Sounds
What
Elongate Springtails (Order Entomobryomorpha)Observer
peterswartDescription
This collembola was running around on a wet, dead tree trunk that had fallen into the cave. It leapt to avoid my light, and disappeared over the edge of a 10m deep canyon, hence only one out of focus picture.
Photos / Sounds
What
Crane Flies (Infraorder Tipulomorpha)Observer
peterswartDescription
These crane flies are quite common in the entrance/twilight zone of Bats Cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Daddylonglegs (Spermophora peninsulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
Fewer than I expected.
Photos / Sounds
What
Harvestmen (Order Opiliones)Observer
peterswartDescription
I saw 2 of these very small harvestmen. I lost both before being able to get better pictures. Reminder to look harder next time. Body length parameter is a guess.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MachiloidesObserver
peterswartDescription
Bristletails were mostly on vertical walls or 'ceiling' of boulders.
Photos / Sounds
What
Metellina haddadiObserver
peterswartDescription
The web was hanging close to the ceiling.
Photos / Sounds
What
Tribe TrechiniObserver
peterswartDescription
I saw three of these beetles. All very actively running around in and on the soil in the darkest part of the twilight zone. There is a lot of organic material on the floor of this section of the cave.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
peterswartDescription
Small keeled millipede. Probably juvenile. In the spoil/humus on the cave floor.
Photos / Sounds
What
Earthworms and Allies (Subclass Oligochaeta)Observer
peterswartDescription
There were a lot of these worms in the soil and under rocks on the floor of the cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Trinon Harvestman (Speleomontia cavernicola)Observer
peterswartDescription
Found walking on top of the wet soil/humus in the transition/dark zone of the cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Table Mountain Cave Cricket (Spelaeiacris tabulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
Common throughout the twilight and transition dark zone of the cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Daddylonglegs (Spermophora peninsulae)Observer
peterswartDescription
When these spiders are disturbed, they usually vibrate in place in their webs. which make focus a problem. This one dashed across its web. I thought is was trying to evade the photographer, but when I looked at the pictures, I see it had caught lunch,
Photos / Sounds
What
Peninsula Hacklemesh Weaver (Malaika longipes)Observer
peterswartDescription
The web was under a boulder pile. 6mm body length is an estimate.
Photos / Sounds
What
Terrestrial Amphipods (Superfamily Talitroidea)Observer
peterswartDescription
There were a few of these in and on the soil/decaying plant matter in the cave.
Photos / Sounds
What
Mottled Blackslug (Ariopelta variegata)Observer
peterswartDescription
This slug was really outside of the cave, but within the drip line of the entrance, so has been put in the entrance zone. It was on the ceiling of the rock that surrounds the entrance to the cave, and its presence probably has little to do with the cave, and more to do with the humid atmosphere of the surroundings.
Photos / Sounds
What
Cave Velvetworm (Peripatopsis alba)Observer
peterswartDescription
Found on the ceiling/wall of the cave, not far from the entrance.
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