Conservation - This is listed this far down only because everything above it directly influences the safety of the people in the cave. Ultimately personal safety is everyone's top concern although that does not mean it has to come at the sacrifice of the cave itself. In manypopular caves there will be considerable evidence of mankind's presence in the form of broken formations, trash, graffiti and the like. Please do not contribute to this problem but rather do some part to improve it by always trying to take out some extra trash on your way out, and impress upon others the fragility of the cave environment when possible. As for the animals found in caves some are quite rare and are even on the endangered species list.
Bats are one of the more visible species inhabiting caves.
Try not to disturb any animals you may encounter even when they tend to roost at inconveinent spots. Some caves are considered closed at certain times of the year to avoid disturbing the bat population. If you go to a cave that has a large population of bats try to find out if and when it is all right to enter. Contact Bob Biddix for more details.