Look at the photo above for more altruistic vampire ways. They even adopt orphaned bats and will share their food. Vampire Bats are one of the few animal species that show caring behavior for those beyond their family group. Lets put aside the scary name, VAMPIRE, and let me share some benevolent behavior of Vampire Bats that may gain your admiration for the Pleistocene bat, Desmodus Stocki. Arkenstone Cave discovery of extinct vampire batsĭesmodus stocki was 20% larger than the still extant common vampire bat. Remains of Desmodus are consistent with a single individual, and those of a small Myotis (bat) consistent with two individuals (Czaplewski and Peachey 2003). Virtually all of the bones collected were of that species. These bats begin nursing colonies, female nurse bats remain at the roost while other adults are out foraging. Myotis thysandoes is a larger species of bat, mammal. Research indicates that Arkenstone Cave was the site of a maternity colony of Myotis thysanodes. Photo of Earth during the Ice Age, The Pleistocene The extinction of Desmodus stockiparalleled the extinction of the megafauna. Pleistocene vampire bats most likely were capable of surviving in cooler temperatures than the modern bats of today. Experts estimated that 30% of the Earth’s surface was covered by ice. The Late Pleistocene age was dominated by glaciation Many larger land animals, MEGAFAUNA, became extinct over this ICE AGE. Extinct Vampire Bat found in Arkenstone Caveĭue to leaching in the alkaline cave environment, the bones could not be dated by radiocarbon, but the fossils probably date to the late Pleistocene Age - (Late Pleistocene Bats from Arkenstone Cave, Arizona by Nicholas Czaplewski and William Peachey, December 2003) stocki in what is now the Sonoran Desert and the second location for the vampire bat species in Arizona. Rarer bones in the deposit represent a smaller species of bat ( Myotis) and the extinct vampire bat Desmodus stocki. The pseudoscorpion has since been listed as one of Pima County’s priority vulnerable species! Bat Bones found in Arkenstone CaveĪ small, late Quaternary, ( about 2 million yrs ago), deposit of degraded bat guano ( poop) in Arkenstone Cave yielded thousands of fossil bat bones. Pseudoscorpion found in Arkenstone CaveĪ previously unknown species of pseudoscorpion was discovered in Arkenstone. These characteristics would be adaptations to their subterranean life. For example, they may have loss of pigment or no eyes. Troglobitic species tend to be very unusual organisms. research at Arkenstone CaveĪnimals that live in caves are often put in the category called TROGLOBITES. The Arkenstone Cave exhibit at Colossal Mountain Park Museum gives detailed descriptions. In recent years, 7 new species of fauna have been found. A few researchers have special grants to work in these living Arizona Caves. Several new species have been found in Arkenstone that are endemic to Arkenstone, meaning they only exist in Arkenstone Cave. species found in Arkenstone Cave, Colossal Mountain Park, AZ Pima County and Colossal Park employees have an overwhelming desire and responsibility to protect La Tetera and Arkenstone living Caves. Tower Coral, crystal formations on the floor of Arkenstone CaveĪ live cave has life forms, insects, faunal, animal, species and unusual speleothems. What does this mean… A wild cave has no provisions for the general public and is dangerous without expert equipment and experience. Mineral deposits in caves are called SPELEOTHEMS. La Tetera and Arkenstone are alive and adorned with calcium carbonate formations produced through slow precipitation. Colossal Cave is dry and considered a dead cave. Karst image courtesy of Arkenstone, La Tetera and Colossal Caves are located in Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Arizona. Thousands upon thousands of years! Karst diagram, Limestone Caves This dissolution process is extremely slow. Simply put, it dissolves from precipitation mixing with carbon dioxide and the decaying organic material in the soil. Arkenstone Cave is used for researchĪRKENSTONE is an active KARST CAVE, which means the breaking down of limestone has produced fissures, sinkholes, caverns and underground streams. Here are some of the research highlights provided from the Museum Caving Rooms at Colossal Cave east of Tucson, AZ. Our most important finding has been the fact that Pima County regards these living caves as treasure troves of precious, immeasurable scientific information.Īccess is extremely limited but a visit to Colossal Cave Mountain Park Museum can provide the curious with results of the past and latest research conducted inside Arkenstone Cave. We have spent a great deal of time investigating information regarding Arkenstone and La Tetera Caves. This living cave is protected by the county and accessible only to a few scientists and researchers. Arkenstone Cave was discovered near the Rincon Mountains of Southeastern Arizona in the 1960’s.
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