The following information was used as research for the video.
Andrew-
“Mammoth Cave National Park's 52,700 acres constitute one of the greatest protectors of biological diversity in Kentucky. The surface contains animals typical of an eastern hardwood forest.”
Over 200 species are in Mammoth cave, that biologists have found. Some of the life forms that are found in mammoth cave are just animals that wandered into the cave, but found shelter there and made it their home. Living in a cave isn’t easy, though, animals have to make many adaptations to survive in the depths of the cave. Also the low light levels make food pretty scarce, putting lots of stress on animals to find food. The most famous cave animal is hands down the bat, but there are only 12 species of bats that live in mammoth cave. The most common species of bats in the cave systems are in little brown bats. 2 of the 12 species that live in mammoth cave are endangered because of vandalism, people messing with their habitats, and direct killing. The bats act as natural insecticides because they eat bugs, keeping their populations from growing.
Zoe-
Pseudo-scorpion
A minute arachnid that has pincers but no long abdomen or sting, occurring abundantly in leaf litter. Also called a 'false scorpion'.
Flatworms, isopods, amphipods, eyeless cave shrimp, cave crayfish, bristletails, collembola, booklice, eyeless fish, segmented worms, snails, copepods, spiders, phalangiidae, mites, pseudoscorpions, millipedes, cave crickets and cave beetles are cave-dwellers and virtually live out their life history inside Mammoth Cave. It's estimated that there are some 200 species of tiny creatures living inside the cave system. Crickets, bats, pack rats, flies and gnats are cave guests and do not always remain inside the cave.
Raccoons and frogs enter the cave occasionally, and gray and fox squirrels have been known to frequent the area. http://www.answers.com/Q/What_animals_are_in_Mammoth_Cave by Robin Harris
Springtail- a minute primitive wingless insect that has a springlike organ under the abdomen that enables it to leap when disturbed. Springtails are abundant in the soil and leaf litter.
Bristletail- A small wingless insect that has bristles at the end of the abdomen.
Eyeless Fish- A fish that has adapted to the dark environment in the cave by losing it’s eyes.
Chance -
“Mammoth Cave, by far the world's longest known cave system, is the heart of the South-Central Kentucky karst, an integrated set of subterranean drainage basins covering more than 1,050 square kilometers – 400 square miles. Atop this labyrinth is a biologically diverse set of ecosystems inextricably interlinked with the ecosystems underground. This physiographic province, with Mammoth Cave National Park at its core, was declared an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990” .
*Note: Many of these plants are found outside of the cave.
Elizabeth- Wildflowers: “Spring Beauty , Twinleaf, Hepatica, Yellow Corydalis, Violets, Trout Lily, Bluebells, May-Apple, Columbine, Phlox, Wild Geranium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Trillium, Wood Poppy, Fire Pink, Larkspur, Squirrel Corn, Wild Hyacinth, Synandra, Coral Root Orchid, Yellow Lady Slipper, Crested Dwarf Iris, Showy Orchis,”
Grasses: “Prairie Dock, Purple Coneflower, Culver's Root, Tall Coreopsis, Prairie Coneflower, and numerous species of Blazing Star, Sunflower, Goldenrod, and Aster.”
(Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/maca/learn/nature/grasses.htm)
“Mammoth Cave National Park's 52,700 acres constitute one of the greatest protectors of biological diversity in Kentucky. The surface contains animals typical of an eastern hardwood forest.”
Over 200 species are in Mammoth cave, that biologists have found. Some of the life forms that are found in mammoth cave are just animals that wandered into the cave, but found shelter there and made it their home. Living in a cave isn’t easy, though, animals have to make many adaptations to survive in the depths of the cave. Also the low light levels make food pretty scarce, putting lots of stress on animals to find food. The most famous cave animal is hands down the bat, but there are only 12 species of bats that live in mammoth cave. The most common species of bats in the cave systems are in little brown bats. 2 of the 12 species that live in mammoth cave are endangered because of vandalism, people messing with their habitats, and direct killing. The bats act as natural insecticides because they eat bugs, keeping their populations from growing.
Zoe-
Pseudo-scorpion
A minute arachnid that has pincers but no long abdomen or sting, occurring abundantly in leaf litter. Also called a 'false scorpion'.
Flatworms, isopods, amphipods, eyeless cave shrimp, cave crayfish, bristletails, collembola, booklice, eyeless fish, segmented worms, snails, copepods, spiders, phalangiidae, mites, pseudoscorpions, millipedes, cave crickets and cave beetles are cave-dwellers and virtually live out their life history inside Mammoth Cave. It's estimated that there are some 200 species of tiny creatures living inside the cave system. Crickets, bats, pack rats, flies and gnats are cave guests and do not always remain inside the cave.
Raccoons and frogs enter the cave occasionally, and gray and fox squirrels have been known to frequent the area. http://www.answers.com/Q/What_animals_are_in_Mammoth_Cave by Robin Harris
Springtail- a minute primitive wingless insect that has a springlike organ under the abdomen that enables it to leap when disturbed. Springtails are abundant in the soil and leaf litter.
Bristletail- A small wingless insect that has bristles at the end of the abdomen.
Eyeless Fish- A fish that has adapted to the dark environment in the cave by losing it’s eyes.
Chance -
“Mammoth Cave, by far the world's longest known cave system, is the heart of the South-Central Kentucky karst, an integrated set of subterranean drainage basins covering more than 1,050 square kilometers – 400 square miles. Atop this labyrinth is a biologically diverse set of ecosystems inextricably interlinked with the ecosystems underground. This physiographic province, with Mammoth Cave National Park at its core, was declared an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990” .
*Note: Many of these plants are found outside of the cave.
Elizabeth- Wildflowers: “Spring Beauty , Twinleaf, Hepatica, Yellow Corydalis, Violets, Trout Lily, Bluebells, May-Apple, Columbine, Phlox, Wild Geranium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Trillium, Wood Poppy, Fire Pink, Larkspur, Squirrel Corn, Wild Hyacinth, Synandra, Coral Root Orchid, Yellow Lady Slipper, Crested Dwarf Iris, Showy Orchis,”
Grasses: “Prairie Dock, Purple Coneflower, Culver's Root, Tall Coreopsis, Prairie Coneflower, and numerous species of Blazing Star, Sunflower, Goldenrod, and Aster.”
(Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/maca/learn/nature/grasses.htm)