caves2

Cave Facts

-Page 2-

Caves have other formations such as dripstone calcite
curtains and stone flowers. These grow all sorts of ways.

These are stone flowers called helictites.
They are in Wyandotte Cave.
(photograph courtesy of Gary Berdeaux)

OTHER TYPES OF CAVES

Other kinds of caves in the world besides limestone caves
are sea caves, lava caves, and ice caves. Sea caves are
made when ocean waves keep hitting the sides of seaside
cliffs. The rocks there are worn away until the cave is
formed. Animals like sea lions have lived in these kinds of
caves. Ice caves were formed from glaciers. One ice
cave is called Paradise Glacier and it is in Washington
state. Hawaii has many lava caves. When lava flows out
of a volcano it sometimes leaves hollow areas. This lava
cools down and then it is a cave.

USES OF CAVES

Caves have been used by humans many years ago. We
know this because there is evidence left behind like stone
tools and other man-made items in the caves. There have
also been cave and art found, such as paintings of animals
and hunters hunting them. People mostly did not live in
caves but just used them for shelter or storage.

LIFE IN A CAVE

There are many animals who live in caves. Bats are the
most famous cave dwellers. However, there are also
sometimes bears, snakes, birds, insects, fish, and rodents
like mice or rats. The birds usually build their nests
near the entrances of caves.

A cave cricket we saw on the
ceiling of Siberts Cave (Little Wyandotte).
(CES Media Club)

Wyandotte Caves have had several species of bats living
in them. Dr. Clark McCreedy, a wildlife biologist of
Hoosier National Forest, told us that right now there
are four species in it. They are Indiana bat, Little Brown
bat, Big Brown bat, and the Eastern Pipistrelle. In fact,
Wyandotte Caves has one of the largest populations of
the endangered Indiana Bat in the United States.

Indiana bats clustering on the ceiling in Historic (Big) Wyandotte.
(photograph courtesy of Dr. Clark McCreedy)