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Jewel Cave National MonumentA close-up of calcite crystals/NPS file photo
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Jewel Cave National Monument
Animals
 

Many animal species make Jewel Cave National Monument their home.  Most live in the ponderosa pine forest and open meadows of the surface, but some also live in the cave itself.

 
A packrat, or bushy-tailed woodrat

Martin Roest

Packrats are often seen near the historic cave entrance.

Over 1,000 bats use Jewel Cave as a winter hibernaculum, and some stay into the summer. Many packrats also make the cave their year-round home. They can sometimes be seen on the Lantern Tour.

Springtails are small insects that can be found near the historic entrance and around the Scenic Tour route. Deep in the cave, only protozoa and other microbes are able to survive, because of the lack of food. In fact, almost all cave life at Jewel Cave is found near the entrances, because there is no natural mechansim for carrying organic material deeper into the cave.

 
Eastern cottontail rabbit

Tonia Foster

Eastern cottontail rabbits are common near the visitor center.

On the surface, herds of elk pass through the park, grazing on the meadows opened up by the Jasper Fire. These shy animals are rarely seen. Easier to find are white-tailed deer, mule deer, rabbits, red squirrels, and birds.

Fringe-tailed myotis
Bats
The bats of Jewel Cave
more...
Red squirrel sitting on a branch/NPS file photo  

Did You Know?
Red squirrels can be seen year round in Jewel Cave National Monument harvesting pine cones from ponderosa pine trees.

Last Updated: November 09, 2006 at 11:23 EST