Return to Cave Journey Home Page
Who Lives in Caves? How Do Animals Adapt to Living in Caves? How Do Cave Animals Relate to Each Other? What is the Geology of a Cave? How & Why Would You Study a Cave? How Can I Help Conserve Caves?
Go to the Adaptation Room
Go to Why Do Cave Animals Adapt?
Go to How Do Cave Animals Adapt?

Why Do Cave Animals Adapt?
Dipluran Picture Thumbnail
Click on Picture for Larger Image

...And Why Do They Look So Weird?

It is amazing to see the amount of gear scientists have to wear in order to work in some caves. Cave scientists look like they are going to another planet when they get ready to study a cave.

In order to go down into caves with toxic gases or deep pits, a scientist puts on a lighted helmet, a mask, a special suit, vertical equipment to help them descend and ascend ropes, may carry a gas monitor, and finally all of their equipment to study the cave itself. They need all of this stuff in order to protect themselves, otherwise they would become seriously ill or even die.

Humans are not adapted to the extreme environment of caves. Animals are just like humans, they have to adapt or develop their own gear, in order to survive in caves. Seeing as how cave animals cannot go out and get special suits or a lighted helmet they must adapt physically and behaviorally. These adaptations have occurred over many years and many generations; the children of the animals begin to become physically different in order to survive in the cave environment and eventually become a different species from the one the originally entered the cave.

Dipluran Picture
Click on Picture for Larger Image
The Dipluran above is a great example of an adapted cave animals, just look at how white it is!

Just think…what would it be like to live your life in constant darkness completely separated from the outside world? You would have to adapt too. Well, cave animals have adapted. This adaptation is what makes them different. In this section you will learn about all of these inhabitants of caves and their special characteristics.

Click on the Link(s) Below to Learn (About)...

How Do Cave Animals Adapt?