During the course of the three-year study, park staff and contract biologists from Zara Environmental in Austin, Texas, visited 30 caves in the two parks as well as five caves in Yosemite National Park. Zara Environmental specializes in work with cave animals.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have 238 known caves. Most people visit caves for the adventure of a subterranean world or to see beautiful cave formations, but below their feet and over their heads are surprising and varied animals that make caves their home. Previous work in park caves had revealed a few other specialized organisms including white and eyeless animals adapted to the ever-dark cave environment.

Park staff will use the new information to monitor and study the health of these rare animals in an attempt to learn more about them, and to determine if populations are healthy. More work in the future may still reveal other new species living in the caves below the Sequoias. For more information about caves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit http://www.nps.gov/seki/snrm/geology/cave_karst.htm .

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