SLOVAK KARST - CAVE FAUNA

The limestone territory of the Slovak Karst together with adjacent Hungarian part is the largest karstic territory of the Western Carpathians. Its signification is high not only because of the geomorphologic diversity, but thanks to rich flora and fauna. The extensive system of the underground fissures and caves, a south exposition of the entrances and suitable climatic conditions as well influenced an evolution of the remarkable cavernicolous fauna.

Investigation of the cave fauna began in the half the last century in this territory. The attention was firstly concentrated on the largest cave - the Baradla Cave at Aggtelek. In last time more extraordinary animals were examined in other caves and abysses.

The water fauna of the caves is by comparison with the surface more simple and more monotonous. The animals do not leave a water nor an underground mostly. They spend all their life here, including their reproduction. Comparatively good knowledge we have on the worms of the class Oligochaeta, mollusces of the class Gastropoda and of the class Bivalvia and crustaceans (Crustacea - Amphipoda).

Oligochaeta are bound to the fine sediment deposits - sand and clay. They are in great numbers in the caves what are periodically washed down through the ponors (the cave Domica, Milada). The flood waters are rich in biological nutriments from farming areas. The Stylodrilus parvus (Hrabe et Cernosvitov) and Peloscolex velutinus (Pierantoni) can be mentioned as characteristic species of the water cave worms. They were found in the caves Silicka ladnica Ice Cave , Gombasecka Cave , Majkova Cave, Milada Cave and Bezodna ladnica Abyss. Seldom were found as well other species: Rhyacodrilus falciformis Bretschr in the Ardovska Cave and the Certova diera Abyss, Haplotaxis gordioides (Hartmann) in the Milada Cave.

Gastropoda. Species Bythinella austriaca (Frfld) was found of the mollusces in the underground brooks that flow in the caves Silicka ladnica Ice Cave, Gombasecka Cave and Majkova Cave.

Bivalvia. Of the mollusks of this class the Pisidium personatum and P. casertanum permanently live in the caves Domica Cave , Silicka ladnica Ice Cave and Bezodna ladnica Abyss.

Crustacea. A characteristic species of the crustaceans is Niphargus tatrensis Wrzes, which lives in the caves Milada Cave, Bezodna Ladnica Cave, Drienovska Cave , Ponorna Abyss. In two places Gammarus fossarum was found, which permanently occupies the Drienovska Cave.

Insecta. Of the insects evolved are in water the still undeterminated larvae were found in the caves Milada Cave and Domica Cave.

Niphargas aggtelehiensis from the Domica Cave. (52kB)

The land fauna lives in the subterranean spaces permanently or temporarily. Permanently inhabit caves for example the earthworms, mites, spiders Porrhomma, beetles Duvalius, Quedius and some belonging to the order Diptera. Temporarily species live mostly on the walls of entrance parts above all winged insects. In addition there are bats, dipterous, butterflies etc.

Oligochaeta. The earthworms Lumbricidae and insects Enchytraeidae occupy banks of the subterranean rivers, guano sediments and horizons with a fallen humus etc. They were found in the caves Domica Cave, Brazda Abyss and Milada Cave.

Chrustacea. The most important species Mesoniscus graniger (Friv.) occurs of the land crustaceans. It was described in the first place in the Baradla Cave. Other finds are from the caves Jasovska Cave , Silicka ladnica Ice Cave, Domica Cave, Certova diera Abyss, Brazda Abyss, Drienovska Cave, Ardovska Cave and Hrusovska Cave .

Arachnida. Of the arachnids the inner spaces of caves are occupied by false-scorpions, spiders, scythe spiders and mites. Of the false-scorpions (Pseudoscorpionidea) a characteristic species Neobisium (Blothrus) slovacum was found and described from a cave near Brzotin. Further findings origin from the Singliarova Cave. Of spiders three species of the genus Porrhomma live in the underground (in the caves Baradla Cave, Brazda Abyss, Domica Cave, Certova diera Abyss, Drienovska Cave, Diviacia Abyss and Ponorna Abyss). From Certova diera Abyss a new species of mite (Acarina) - Oribella cavatica (Kunst) - was described. They live in the Brazda Abyss and in Hacavska Cave too. Another species Poecilophysis spelaea (Wankel) syn.Rhagidia lives in Hacavska Cave, what is the first published data from Slovakia.

Of the other species of a cave fauna is worth mentioning Diplura, Plusiocampa spelaea Stach. from the Ardovska Cave. Remarkable a rich fauna of springtails ( Collembola ) from the Domica Cave, where were described two species as new: Arrhopalites slovacicus and Onychiurus troglophilus. Of the beetles ( Coleoptera ) a genus Duvalius is most important with the species D. bokori bokori (Csiki), D. hungaricus brzotinensis (Janak), D. bokori gelidus (Csiki), D.hungaricus hungaricus (Csiki) and D. hungaricus sziliczensis (Csiki). They occur on the Plesivska and Silicka plateaus.

In many caves Quedius mesomelimus (Marsham) lives (for example in the Jasovska Cave, the Ludmila Cave milled into a lime, the Kecovska Cave, the Velka Zomboj Abyss, the Certova diera Abyss). Of the flying insects the Diptera Trichocera maculipennis Meigen and T. regelationis (L.) can be found in the deep underground namely in the Brazda Abyss, Velka Zomboj Abyss, Ponorna Abyss and elsewhere.

Of the insects entered into the caves for a shorter period most species of the Diptera is mentioned as Limonia nubeculosa (Mg.), Tarnania fenestralis (Mg.), Eccoptomera obscura (Mg.), E.pallescens (Mg.), Heleomyza captiosa (Gorodkov), Scoliocentra brachypterna (Loew), Triphosa dubitata (L.) ... Stenophylax permistus, S.sequax, S.vibex and Micropterna nycterobia were discovered in the Hrusovska Cave, Majkova Cave and Milada Cave.

The fauna of the bats ( Chiroptera ) is rich in the Slovak karst. The most known places with an occurrence of bats in colonies are the caves Ardovska Cave, Certova diera Abyss, Drienovska Cave and Jasovska Cave. The colonies of the bats were formed here all the year round. In the whole territory 14 species of the bats were determined, of them all species of the genus Rhinolophus, Myotis myotis, Myotis blythi and M.schreiberi are important.

SLOVAKIA CAVE SERVER prepared by Eduard Kladiva (Old Cave Dog) from Speleoclub CASSOVIA . Please send all comments, notes and corrections on e-mail kladiva@saske.sk.