Cave Creatures Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spotted-tail cave salamander

There are many species of cave salamanders. The spotted-tail cave salamander is one of the most interesting. This type of salamander is indigenous to the Midwest and parts of the southern U.S. Because is has no lungs, it breathes through skin pores. It feeds on a diet of insects, worms, and slugs. Its long tail allows it to comfortably hang from cave walls, handy when insects fly by.

Answer: Blind flatworm

Since it has no stomach, this flatworm takes in food which gets absorbed by cells inside it. It absorbs oxygen and fluids through its skin. Since it cannot see at all, sense organs detect chemical changes in the water that alerts it to nearby food. Blind flatworms dine on isopods and bat guano that has fallen to the cave floor.

Answer: Bat

Bats hibernate all winter, huddling together for warmth. Come spring they emerge from their slumber, waiting for nightfall in order to hunt for insects to feed on. What's interesting about the female bat is that, during birth, she switches from hanging upside-down to hanging by her thumbs. Babies come out tail first and, for the first few days, cling to the mother's belly to nurse.

Answer: Bristly cave crayfish

This species of crayfish has narrow pincers covered with bristles, hence its name. Sensory cells are located on the antennae to help detect chemicals in the water which help in locating food and a suitable mate as well. This crustacean feeds on insect larvae and flatworms. Because it is a freshwater crustacean, the crayfish crawls along the bottom of streams.

Answer: Pack rat

You've heard of those people who are known as "pack rats." You may even be one yourself. The next time someone uses that expression, think of this hard-working rodent. It collects any object it can find to bring back to the nest. The pack rat forages for food at night.

It enjoys eating plant leaves, fruits, seed heads, and pine needles. Talk about a well-rounded diet! Females typically give birth to three to five babies with many litters to follow. The babies can fend for themselves after about a month.

Answer: Cave cricket

The cave cricket is not like other crickets. It is silent and does not chirp like other crickets. It is also well camouflaged. Its pale body blends in with the light brown limestone walls. It comes out of the cave at night to hunt for food. This cricket feeds on leaf bits, fruit, fungi, and dead insects, including dead cave crickets. Because it actually leaves the cave, it brings in fungi spores which later sprout and leaves droppings all over the cave floor.

Other creatures that live inside a cave all their lives can feed on the fungi and droppings.

Answer: Olm

With its snake-like body and pink skin, the olm is unusual-looking. It's completely aquatic, unlike other amphibians. It is also blind since layers of skin cover its eyes. Since it's blind, the ohm's sense of hearing and smelling is heightened, even more so than amphibians who are not aquatic. These salamanders feed on snails, crabs, and insects.

Answer: Isopods

Isopods can be distinguished from other crustaceans due to the single leaf-like part, or uropod, found at the end of the abdomen. Other crustaceans have several pairs of uropods. In order to mate the female climbs onto the back of a male and he carries her around for a while. Once they mate the female carries her eggs in pouches on her belly. Isopods feed on decaying plants and bat droppings.

They are slightly smaller than their fellow amphipods, which have three pairs of uropods.

Answer: Millipede

The blind millipede is an type of arthropod. Arthropods are invertebrates having segmented bodies and jointed limbs. The blind millipede is white in color and, like insects, breathes through tubes, spiracles, located along its body. It feeds on bacteria and fungi.

Answer: Harvestmen

There are three different types of cave dwellers. The first type uses caves as temporary shelter. They are known as trogloxenes which means "cave guests." The second type live in caves but venture outside to find food. They are called troglophiles which means "cave lovers." Troglobites, which means "cave dwellers," live their entire lives in caves.

They rely on food brought in by troglophiles. Harvestmen, an arachnid belonging to its own order, are well adapted to cave life. It's a commonly found troglobite.