tiny little cave slugs in giant's hole

[alastairgott]

whilst waiting for a ladder to be rigged on the pitch, i took a look around. i then looked at the ceiling, around where the traverse line starts with the holes in the rock, and found some minute cave slugs.

they were quite interesting but didn't move very far, does anyone know any more about them.

 

[owd git]

Well spotted, how interesting is quite interesting?  :-\
Owd Git.

 

[Peter Burgess]

These perhaps?

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/12/31/unidentified-sluglike-mystery-organism/

I have found web spinning gnat larvae underground but I can't find a good reference to them.

 

[owd git]

On a more serious note I have seen juvenile leeches in several stream beds in the area, and ,indeed they were collected for medicinal use around 'Thorpe Cloud' area. way back before even my youth.
worth a close look! :yucky: 
Owd Git.

 

[kay]

On a more serious note I have seen juvenile leeches in several stream beds in the area, and ,indeed they were collected for medicinal use around 'Thorpe Cloud' area. way back before even my youth.
worth a close look! :yucky: 
Owd Git.

But were they juvenile medicinal leeches? Or even juvenile leeches as opposed to adult smaller leeches? There are quite a few species of leech in the UK, most of them eating detritis. The medicinal leech is pretty rare nowadays, and it's more likely that what you are seeing is one of the species that live in water eating the rotting vegetation. We have lots in our ponds, rather smart dark green ones.

 

[owd git]

we seem to be generating more questions than answers. can someone fetch/identify these little bleeders (no pun intended.)
O.G.

 

[paul]

They are the reincarnations of cavers who failed to pay the appropriate Trespass Fee...

 

[alastairgott]

we paid just forgot to put the car reg on  :-[

These perhaps?

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/12/31/unidentified-sluglike-mystery-organism/

I have found web spinning gnat larvae underground but I can't find a good reference to them.

oh and i don't think they were these but they were so tiny (~1mm) i couldn't see any markings 

Well spotted, how interesting is quite interesting?  :-\
Owd Git.

interesting enough to get a very small dose of radon, probs don't even need full caving gear to see them

 

[alastairgott]

does anyone know of anywhere else that has interesting creatures, i have spotted fish at the bottom of aquamole before.

 

[alastairgott]

but by my books any creature is interesting

 

[owd git]

some  from youds through trip hold this  space  or carry on or i'll catch up! Owd Git.

 

[SeeJay]

Big Jim once showed me that you can find tiny leeches in the sumps in Giant's.  They're particularly easy to find in the second stream sump just downstream from the turn off to the eating house. Just turn over a few pebbles and you'll eventually find some lurking.  They're black and a few millimetres in size, often look like black dots but if you're patient you'll see them move.

I take great delight in showing them to other people on trips since then, there's something about the thought of leeches in your wetsocks that starts you itching... Thanks Big Jim! 

 

[Peter Burgess]

Back to the original query - I once found tiny slug-like animals on the roof of the Football Field quarry workings in Surrey, and they were associated with short silk strands hanging from the roof. At the time, before internet, I decided they were "web spinning gnat larvae". I almost certainly found this in a book, but I can't recall which ione.

 

[caving_fox]

Coincidentally I just finished reading Pat Chapman's Caves and Cave Life - published in '93. It isn't very good as an identification guide, but it's quite interesting at describing the variety of life that does exist in UK caves, and how littel we know about it.

 

[Big Jim]

Next time Im down Giants I'll take a few specimens and see if Jess can identify them at work as she did with the snails down Perryfoot. Im useless on moluscs n that. :-[

 

[george]

I found a lizard in Wilsons (next to long churn). It's got quite a broken roof so I guess it just fell in. I thought it was a newt at first, but I took it out and put it on dry land and saw it was a common lizard.

george

 

[george]

According to the guidebook, Bog Hall Cave near Kirbymoorside (Yorkshire Moors) has a colony of Lampreys at it's terminal sump! I doubt I'll ever see them as the discription up to that point sounds, err....sporting.

George

 

[shotlighter]

According to the guidebook, Bog Hall Cave near Kirbymoorside (Yorkshire Moors) has a colony of Lampreys at it's terminal sump! I doubt I'll ever see them as the discription up to that point sounds, err....sporting.

George

No chance of me or thee doing a "Henry I" there then

 

[alastairgott]

hmm lampreys trip is a summer trip (probs too wet in winter) does anyone have any other amazing animals to see down a cave

 

[gus horsley]

hmm lampreys trip is a summer trip (probs too wet in winter) does anyone have any other amazing animals to see down a cave

I saw a 3ft eel in an adit in Charlestown and a starfish in an adit at St Agnes.