Wherever your exploring takes you in the cave, and no matter at what pace, make sure that you allow adequate time to be back at the cave entrance steps by at least 30 minutes before closing time. Wildlife Illinois Caverns, like all caves, is a delicate ecosystem with many different forms of life thriving within. Some spend all their lives inside a cave. These animals, like cavefish, are called troglodytes. Some spend most of their lives in a cave, but venture outside at times.
Bats are the most common example of troglophyles.
A third group of animals lives mainly outside, but ventures into a cave for periods of time. Snakes, which might use a cave as a hibernaculum, would be an example of troglytes. In addition to the many species of bats which inhabit Illinois Caverns, other animals like raccoons, possums and snakes use the cave at times. Several salamander species exist in Illinois Caverns, as well as sculpins and blind cavefish. The endangered Illinois Cave Amphipod, gammerus acherondytes, is one of several species of amphipod in the cave, and there are numerous kinds of insects.