Animals that live in caves and burrows

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 2 August 2021
Update Date: 22 June 2024
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The planet's animal diversity has conquered almost all existing ecosystems for its development, resulting in very few places that are not home to some kind of fauna. In this Peritoanimal article we want to present you an article about animals that live in caves, known as cave animals, and also those that live in burrows, which have developed several characteristics that make life easier in these places.

There are three groups of animals with adaptations to cave habitat and such classification occurs according to their use of the environment. Thus, there are the troglobite animals, the troglophile animals and the trogloxenous animals. In this article we will also talk about another group called the fossorial animals.


Do you want to know different examples of animals that live in caves and burrows? So keep reading!

Groups of animals that live in caves and burrows

As we've already mentioned, there are three groups of animals that live in caves. Here we will detail them better:

  • troglobite animals: are those species that in their evolutionary process have adapted to live exclusively in caves or caves. Among them are some annelids, crustaceans, insects, arachnids and even fish species such as lambaris.
  • trogloxenous animals: animals that are attracted to caves and can develop various aspects such as reproduction and feeding inside them, but they can also be outside them, such as some species of snakes, rodents and bats.
  • troglophile animals: are animals that can live outside the cave or inside, but they do not have specialized organs for caves, such as troglobites. In this group are some types of arachnids, crustaceans and insects such as beetles, cockroaches, spiders and snake lice.

Among the animals that live in burrows, we highlight the fossil animals. They are the burrowing individuals and live underground, but they can also move on the surface, such as the naked mole rat, the badger, salamanders, some rodents and even some types of bees and wasps.


Next, you will meet several species that are part of these groups.

Proteus

The Proteus (Proteus anguinus) It is a troglobite amphibian that breathes through the gills and has the peculiarity of not developing metamorphosis, so that it retains almost all larval characteristics even during adulthood. Thus, at 4 months of life, an individual is equal to their parents. this amphibian is the only member of the Proteus genus and has an appearance similar to some specimens of axolotl.

It is an animal with an elongated body, up to 40 cm, with an appearance similar to a snake. This species is found in subterranean aquatic habitats in the Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Bosnia.

Guacharo

The guácharo (Steatornis caripensis) one troglophile bird native to South America, found mainly in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, although it seems to be present in other regions of the continent. It was identified by naturalist Alexander von Humboldt on one of his expeditions to Venezuela.


The guácharo is also known as the cave bird because it spends the entire day in this type of habitat and only comes out at night to feed on fruit. For being one of the cave animals, where there is no light, he is located by echolocation and depends on his developed sense of smell. Generally, the caves it inhabits are a tourist attraction to hear and see this peculiar bird come out once night falls.

teddy bat

The various species of bat animals are a typical example of troglophiles, and the teddy bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) is one of them. This mammal is of medium size, measuring about 5-6 cm, has a dense coat, grayish color on the back and lighter in the ventral area.

This animal is distributed from southwestern Europe, north and west Africa through the Middle East to the Caucasus. It hangs in the high areas of caves located in the regions it inhabits and generally feeds in areas close to the cave.

If you like these animals, discover the different types of bats and their characteristics in this article.

Synopoda scurion spider

This is a troglobite spider identified a few years ago in Laos, in a cave system of about 100 km. It belongs to the Sparassidae family, a group of arachnids known as giant crab spiders.

The peculiarity of this hunting spider is its blindness, most likely caused by the lightless habitat in which it is found. In this regard, does not have eye lenses or pigments. Without a doubt, it is one of the most curious animals that live in caves.

European mole

Moles are a group that are fully adapted to living in burrows that they themselves dig into the ground. The European mole (European talpa) is an example of this, being a fossorial mammal of small size, reaching up to 15 cm in length.

Its distribution range is wide, being located in both Europe and Asia. Although it can inhabit different types of ecosystems, it is usually found in deciduous forests (with deciduous trees). She builds a series of tunnels through which she moves and, at the bottom, is the lair.

naked mole rat

Despite its popular name, this animal does not share the taxonomic classification with moles. The naked mole rat (heterocephalus glaber) is a rodent of underground life characterized by the absence of hair, which gives it a very striking appearance. So it's a clear example of animals that live in underground caves. Another peculiar feature is its longevity within the group of rodents, as it can live for around 30 years.

This fossorial animal has a complex social structure, similar to that of some insects. In this sense, there is a queen and multiple workers, and the latter are in charge of digging the tunnels through which they travel, looking for food and protecting against invaders. It is native to East Africa.

Rodent Zygogeomys trichopus

These animals are relatively large compared to other rodents, the group to which they belong. In this sense, they measure about 35 cm. Probably due to his almost exclusively underground life, his eyes are quite small.

Is endemic species to Mexico, specifically Michoacán. It lives in deep soils, digging burrows up to 2 meters deep, so it is a fossorial zada species and, therefore, another of the most representative animals that live in burrows. It lives in mountain forests such as pine, spruce and alder.

american beaver

The American Beaver (Canadian beaver) is considered the largest rodent in North America, measuring up to 80 cm.It has semi-aquatic habits, so it spends long periods in the water, being able to submerge for up to 15 minutes.

It is an animal that can make important changes in the habitat where it is located due to the construction of the group's characteristic dams. It specializes in build your lairs, for which it uses logs, moss and mud, which are located near the rivers and streams where it is located. It is native to Canada, the United States and Mexico.

African spurred turtle

Another of the most curious and striking animals that live in burrows is the African spurred turtle (Centrochelys sulcata), which is another fossorial species. It is a land turtle belonging to the Testudinidae family. It is considered the third largest in the world, with the male weighing up to 100 kg and the hull measuring 85 cm in length.

It is widely distributed in different regions of Africa and can be found near rivers and streams, but also in dune areas. It is usually on the surface in the morning and in the rainy season, but for the rest of the day it is usually located in deep burrows that it digs. up to 15 meters. These burrows can sometimes be used by more than one individual.

Eupolybotrus cavernicolus

This is another one of the animals that live in caves. It is a species of endemic troglobite centipede from two caves in Croatia that were identified relatively few years ago. In Europe it is popularly called the cyber-centipede because it is the first eukaryotic species that was fully genetically profiled in both DNA and RNA, as well as morphologically and anatomically registered using highly advanced equipment.

It measures about 3 cm, has a color that varies from brownish-yellow to brownish-brown. One of the caves where she lives is over 2800 meters long and there is water present. The first individuals collected were located on the ground under the rocks, in areas without light, but the about 50 meters from the entrance, therefore, is another one of the animals that live in underground caves.

Other animals that live in caves or burrows

The species mentioned above are not the only ones. cave animals or are able to dig burrows and lead an underground life. There are many others who share these habits. Here are some of them:

  • Neobisium birsteini: is a troglobite pseudoscorpion.
  • Troglohyphantes sp.: is a kind of troglophile spider.
  • Deep Schaefferia: is a type of troglobite arthropod.
  • Plutomurus ortobalaganensis: a type of troglobite arthropod.
  • Cavical catops: this is a troglophile coleopter.
  • Oryctolagus cuniculus: is the common rabbit, one of the best known burrowing animals, therefore, it is a fossorial species.
  • Baibacina marmot: is the gray marmot, which also lives in burrows and is a fossorial species.
  • Dipodomys agilis: is the kangaroo rat, also a fossorial animal.
  • honey honey: is the common badger, a fossorial species that lives in burrows.
  • Eisenia foetida: it's my-red, another fossorial animal.

If you want to read more articles similar to Animals that live in caves and burrows, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.