Tiny Creatures Of The Dark

Tiny Creatures Of The Dark. . During Restoration of the Blue Ridge Tunnel, measures were taken to minimize disturbance of wildlife. With removal of bulkheads from the center, the passage can now provide additional, ideal wintering habitat for bats and year-round habitats for salamanders and amphibians., When most folks think of cave creatures, they usually think of bats. The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) that inhabits the Blue Ridge Tunnel reaches three and one-half inches in length. It has a wingspan of nine to eleven inches. The bat is a nocturnal feeder. It mostly hunts aquatic insects such as mayflies, midges, and caddisflies. Bats spend a large part of the day grooming their long, brownish fur and wings. While you may discover them at any time during the year, they are usually found in crevices high along the tunnel walls during winter, when they enter a state of torpor, or light hibernation. Their body temperature, breathing and heart rate lower to conserve precious energy. Unlike true hibernating animals, the bats wake and feed as environmental conditions dictate., Taking up residence on the wet walls and numerous puddles along the tunnel floor are frogs and salamanders. The long-tailed salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda) is an easy discovery, as its brightly colored skin contrasts against the dark stone. Cool water and damp conditions in the tunnel form a model habitat for this amphibian, which stretches to nearly six inches., Often seen sharing the same wet patch is the pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris). Its scientific name is derived from the Greek word Litho, which means stone or rock and likely refers to the frog’s mottled coloration. Palustris is Latin for “of the marsh.” A small cave dweller, the pickerel is often confused with the leopard frog, but the pickerel has a shorter snout and square spots instead of circular ones found on the leopard., (captions) , Inside the Blue Ridge Tunnel , Most Virginia caves are formed from soluble carbonate rock, or limestone. The Blue Ridge Tunnel is made of hard greenstone, but constant seepage of groundwater combined with nearly total darkness has created a cave-like ecosystem that is perfect for bats. , When threatened, a salamander severs the end of it’s long tail. The detached appendage wiggles, distracting the predator so the salamander can scurry to safety. Salamanders can regrow their tails over time. , The male pickerel frog emits a steady, low-pitched snore during the breeding season. , All images courtesy of Jack Looney