Field Note – A Cave

Field Note – New Cave Exploration

Date: 2025/7/2

Location: A Cave

    Today we visited a cave to collect arthropod samples. This cave has never been studied by scientists before, so there’s a good chance we’ll encounter new species. Everyone was excited. After a bumpy ride through the mountains, we reached an abandoned tourism structure . Apparently, this cave was once designated a tourist destination, but was later abandoned due to dangerously high carbon dioxide levels inside.

The Entrance of the cave

    The hike to the cave was short but intense. Along the way, we saw many trees that had been cut down—our guide, Lenny, told us this area has a lot of illegal logging. Reaching the cave entrance required some climbing. As soon as we got in, we saw a large colony of bats clinging to the ceiling, so we began collecting guano samples right away. We also saw some paw prints. Using the mammal ID sheet Dr.Wynne gave us, we were able to id that the paw prints belong to pacas.

Team photographing the colony of bat at the ceilling

Paw Print of the Paca

We quickly noticed a lot of isopods. They looked very different from the ones we saw at ATM cave, and there’s a high chance they represent an undescribed species.

Deeper into the cave, we collected some millipedes and encountered even more arthropods that could be new to science. To go further, we had to climb again. Along the way, we collected more millipedes and even found a few kissing bugs.

Our Tour Guide Lenny

    Eventually, we reached a larger chamber. There, we found a foul-smelling pool. Dr. Wynne explained that the odor came from guano in the water, likely from vampire bats—the smell is sharp and pungent. Vampire bats are small, with short noses and sharp teeth, and they feed on the blood of mammals and birds. Not long after, we actually spotted one flying near the chamber.

Team climbing

    Near the pool, we started collecting more arthropods and found something special: a white or translucent Juxtlampona. These animals are adapted to the complete darkness of caves. They have long, pincer-like appendages that are sometimes mistaken for antennae, and they actively hunt smaller arthropods.

An Aesthetic Shot of Our Tour Guide Lenny

    Aside from the biology, the cultural history of the cave was fascinating. We found a large number of Maya pottery shards both at the entrance and deep inside the cave. Some cave formations showed signs of being deliberately cut—our guide Lenny explained that the Maya used to quarry stone from caves and even build structures inside them. He also shared Maya stories: for instance, before the rainy season, people would come into the cave to smash pots and make offerings to the rain god. The Maya also believed caves were living beings, and to enter one was to go inside the body of a creature. According to legend, the darkness inside the cave would rotate up to the surface at night.

    It’s hard to describe what it feels like to explore a place no one has studied before. There's a certain reverence that comes with it, a sense that you are walking through layers of time, encountering not only strange new lifeforms but echoes of ancient belief systems. This cave reminded me that exploration isn't always about going somewhere far—sometimes, it's about looking deeper into the earth, where nature and culture intertwine in the most unexpected ways.