Swansea Cave

Swansea Cave
Map showing the location of Swansea Cave
Map showing the location of Swansea Cave
LocationSaint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Coordinates18°10′31″N 77°09′33″W / 18.1752°N 77.1591°W / 18.1752; -77.1591
Length1170 m
Elevation385 m
Geologywhite limestone

Swansea Cave is a cave and palaeontological site in the Saint Catherine Parish of south-eastern Jamaica.

Description

The site lies on private land in the Worthy Park district at an altitude of 385 m above sea level and is surrounded by forest and sugarcane cultivation. The geology is white limestone. The cave is a dry, fossil stream passage, 1170 m in length, which has collapsed in three places. The main entrance is 10 m high by 12 m wide.

Fauna

The cave contains a large, mixed roost of over 10,000 bats between the second and third collapse points, as well as small numbers of the Jamaican fruit bat near the main entrance. Invertebrates found in the cave include the American cockroach, cave crickets, amblypygids, and the rare onychophoran species Speleoperipatus spelaeus.[1] Fossil animals discovered at the site include the Jamaican flightless ibis (Xenicibis xympithecus).[2]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Stewart (2010).
  2. ^ Olson & Steadman (1979).

Sources

  • Olson, Storrs L. & Steadman, David W. (1979). "The humerus of Xenicibis, the extinct flightless ibis of Jamaica". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 92 (1): 23–27.
  • Stewart, R.S. (2010-02-13). "Swansea Cave". Jamaican Caving Notes. Jamaican Caves Organization. Retrieved 2011-01-09.


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