Introduction
Lurking in the cracks and crevices of Kalk Bay Mountain are small pockets of 'micro forests' with carpets of composting leafs on the floor. Some of the alcoves also hide the entrances to caves. Today's trip targeted a few of these caves.
Johalvin Cave and Styx Dungeon
Both of these caves are true forest floor extensions so we would expect to find similar species in the surface leaf litter, and in the cave. Due to time constraints, we only examined the cave environments.
To gain entry to Johalvin, one has to crawl through a boulder choke. The most common, visible, animals in this area were the snails on the walls and ceiling and the bristletails on the walls. The bristletails had extremely long antennae, which they kept folded back next to their bodies.
Commemoration Hall and Egyptian Cave
While these are not true 'Forest Floor' caves, both systems have their entrances surrounded by leaf litter and compost.
Comm Hall
Johalvin
Bristle tails
https://picasaweb.google.com/102360591899376678782/BristletailMeinertellidaeJohalvinCave2011121802
Rain frog
https://picasaweb.google.com/102360591899376678782/FrogBrevicepsMontanusRainFrogJohalvinCave2011121807
Blue snail
https://picasaweb.google.com/102360591899376678782/SnailEndodontidaeTrachycystisTollini20090208004Snail
Flat-backed millipedes
http://za.ispot.org.uk/node/146710
Woodlouse
http://za.ispot.org.uk/node/146709
Spider
http://za.ispot.org.uk/node/146708?nav=users_observations
Egyptian Cave
Styx Dungeon
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