page_title: Kogelbeen Cave
section_title: Biospeleology
hierarchical_section_title: Kogelbeen Cave / Biospeleology
caption_attribution_description: Papio ursinus English: Chacma baboons, cape of good hope Deutsch: Bärenpavine am Kap der guten Hoffnung
context_page_description: The Kogelbeen Cave forms part of eight caves on the dolomitic Ghaap Plateau of the Northern Cape, South Africa. It is commonly known as Kogelbeengrotte inAfrikaans. The cave is located on Kogelbeen Farm in Pixley ka Seme District Municipality. It is the longest known cave in the Northern Cape with a length of 788 meters. The Kogelbeen Cave has a diverse fauna with over 39 species living in five life zones within the cave.
context_section_description: Animals found using the doline and entrance of the Kogelbeen Cave include:
  baboon Papio ursinus
  hyrax Procavia capensis
  porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis
  rock pigeons Columbia guinea
  palewinged starlings Onchognathus nabouroup
  barn owls Tyto alba
  frogs Cacosternum boettgeri
  opilionid spider Polycoryphus asper
  The doline serves well for moisture loving creatures who would otherwise not survive in other areas of Kogelbeen.
  The Kogelbeen cave also functions as an important bat roost being home to three bat species, including Miniopterus schreibersii with a population of over 60 000, the Rhinolophus clivosus and the Rhinolophus darlingi, with a combined population of about 5000. Other bat species found include: 
  Rhinolophus denti
  Nycteris thebaica
  Myotis tricolor
  Eptesicus capensis
  Tadarida aegyptiaca
  These bats are mostly found in the Main Chamber as well as the Bat passage. Considering the large population of bats, unexpectedly thin guano deposits are found.
  Species that are dependent on the guano deposits include: 
  a white fungus that grows on the guano as well as bat remains,
  psychodidae flies (Diptera) commonly found in Bat Passage with multitudes of their nematocerous larvae found in wet guano,
  flies including the Camillidae D. barraclough, pers. com and another two unidentifiable species
  Detritivores that feed on older guano deposits include: 
  isopods Oniscus species as well as small red mites of Uropodidae family.
  Lepidospora species are only found in the carbon dioxide passage,
  crickets (Orthoptera, Gryllidae),
  Ptinidae beetles (Mezium species),
  unidentified Psocoptera,
  Eurycho species Coleptera and Tenebrionidae as well as
  Large hairy catterpillers Lepidoptera larvae
  Preditors in the Kogelbeen Cave include: 
  A large variety of spiders but mostly Gnaphosidae, Dictynida and other Ariadne species
  Assassin spiders Reduviidae
  Parasites in the Kogelbeen cave include the mite of the Argus species Argasidae, which feed on the birds and bats of the cave.
  Aquatic Fauna in the cave include stygobiotic amphipod Sternophysinx Basilobata, which is only found from Kogelbeen.
  There is a mammal checklist of the species found in the cave at the Bloemfontein National Museum.
caption: Baboons that are found at the entrance of the Kogelbeen Cave
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