1. What does a speleologist study?

2. When visiting caves or caverns, you may come across soda straws, but they are not garbage, nor should they be touched. What are soda straws, and where can you find them?

3. Cavern dwellers can fall into three categories: trogloxenes, troglophiles and troglobites. What is the difference between each category?

4. This cave is currently the biggest cave in the world, measuring 5.5 miles long. Name both the cave and its location.

5. What is a hibernaculum?

Answers

1. A speleologist studies caves.

2. Soda straws are stalactites in their earliest stage of growth. Soda straws are found hanging from the ceiling of caves or hanging off other formations within caves or caverns.

3. Trogloxenes are animals who normally live outside, but use a cavern for temporary shelter. Troglophiles are animals that can live outside in a similar environment (cool, dark and moist) but can also live inside a cavern if they choose. Troglobites are animals that live exclusively in the dark zones of caverns.

4. The Son Doong Cave in Vietnam.

5. Hibernaculum is the word used to refer to a place of abode in which a creature seeks refuge, such as a bat using a cave to hibernate.

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